Soul Eater: Destroying a Perfect Soul
by Narusaku1357
Summary: 4 years after the attack from Medusa, things seem to be peaceful here in Death City. Soul and I are happy, Wes is alive and well, and all our friends have their dream jobs! I had no idea that all that peace was going to go straight to hell in one night...
1. The Unexpected

_Destroying a Perfect Soul_

_Chapter 1: The Unexpected_

"_I don't think I'll ever be able to explain to you how I felt when Natalie said those words…"_

"_The tire marks on the pavement and the strain I could feel on his soul made it all the more true,"_

"_Soul was gone."_

* * *

"Go in."

"No"

"Soul…go inside."

"I changed my mind."

I snapped a glare in Soul's direction as the both of us stood in front of the Jazz bar down the street from our apartment. He had been looking for a job for awhile, and now that we finally found a "Help Wanted" sign, Soul wasn't even going to try. He was just standing there…a few feet away from the door; staring at the sign hanging in sight. I knew it would happen…ever since graduation when he mentioned wanting a job, I knew he'd back out like this…

"Why Soul?" I asked from beside him as I set my hands on my hips. "It's a job. My Papa and your Family's bank won't be helping us keep up with the bills anymore, starting next month!" I then said to him; causing him to give me a sideways glance. "You need to make money! I'd do it with you, but god knows how many times I've been stopped from getting into a college…I'm not letting it happen again…" I eyed him carefully as he then put his eyes back on the sign. Then, lazily, he looked at me again; a hint of a pout in his expression. "What?" I asked him in annoyance. "Is it because it's a _'jazz' _bar…?"

"Kinda…yeah."

"Just get the damn job." I groaned before pushing him over to the door. And just before he slipped inside I kissed him and smiled. "Good luck, try not to be rude, act proper, and smile." He gave me a blank stare and I narrowed my eyes. "Yeah…don't do that either…I'll be back at the apartment, cooking dinner." I then said to him before shutting the door; nearly hitting him in the face. Then, now proud that I had finally gotten him to try out for a job, I took out my phone and called my best friend.

"_Hello?"_

"Tsubaki! Soul just might finally have a job!"

"_Oh! That's great—YA-HAA!—Black*Star!"_

Hearing something break in the background, I cringed but kept walking. "I see your busy with him," I then said as I heard more yelling. "I'll see you tomorrow for that double date!" Just after hearing Tsubaki say bye, I shut my phone and set it in my pocket. 'Now what should I make for dinner tonight…?' I glanced around the street's market for the something I could use for the meal. I spotted the fish stand at the end and sprung an idea. "Oh! Salmon should be a nice thing to have tonight…Soul will like that…"

* * *

"What's the special occasion?"

I glanced over my shoulder as Soul walked into the apartment; sniffing the air as if a dog. "I thought salmon would be a nice meal in case you were to get the job…" I said as I turned to face him. But then, I glared and lifted brow. "Did you?" I then asked him. Soul grinned and nodded to me; causing me to bring a missile to my face. "Oh Soul that's great!" Making sure to turn the stove's heat down a little, I ran over to him and gave him a hug. "I'm so proud of you! What did you get?"

"Bartender," Soul answered as I pulled away only enough to see his face. "I start Monday." He then said. I smiled even more, leaned in to kiss him and pulled away to keep cooking our dinner. Soul disappeared into our room—which by the way used to be his room—and left the kitchen to be silent besides my soft humming. We decided to sleep together towards the end of senior year. There was a long three week debate in which room we'd end up emptying. But after asking the gang to decide for us, Black*Star shouted out for us to empty my room because it wasn't as awesome as Soul's…of course the white haired idiot agreed…

"What's this?"

I looked over my shoulder for the second time that night and saw Soul standing in our bedroom doorway; his right hand holding up an envelope that, at first, didn't seem familiar at all. But then, I saw exactly what it was…It was the envelope that I had hidden away behind his back from before the mess with Medusa!

"You're going through my stuff!"

"Technically, it's _'our' _stuff…" Soul shot back with a smirk before crossing his arms. "Plus, you've gone through _'my'_ stuff before. I think it's my turn." He opened his eyes and walked over to the dining table to sit down. "Besides…it's got my name on it. I think it belongs to me anyway," He gave me another glance before opening the envelope to pull out the letter. I watched closely to see his expression in case it were to change in anyway. Seconds passed…and soon a single minute…and his eyes finally widened.

"O-Ok, just so you know-!" I began as I held out a hand for me defense. "When it came in the mail…it was before medusa attacked us!" he glanced up at me and lifted both brows in a way of telling me to continue. "I thought, since your real name was on there, that it could have been the murderer with a threat of some sort…I…" I think I felt my eyes begin to water… "I…I was just scared…I didn't know what to do…" He lowered the paper onto the table as one single tear rolled down my cheek. "I-I'm sorry…"

"Don't cry Maka." Soul said to me with a grin; tossing the letter to the middle of the table. "It was just my brother…" He then said with a single glance over to the letter. I'm sure I put on one of t he most confused expressions in my life after I heard that. Didn't his brother go missing? "Apparently a month before the mess with Medusa…he was found and taken home…he tried to get a hold of me I guess…"

I looked down sadly. "And because of me…you're four years late to reply…"

"Shut up Maka, and just cook." Soul scoffed as he got to his feet. He snatched up the letter and walked over to me as I began cooking again. "Relax, it's not your fault. I'm going to give him a call…" I gave him serious yet saddened look as he picked up the phone. Once he saw it, he rolled his eyes and began punching in the numbers; walking back over to out room. He held it up to his ear and opened the door to go inside. "Uh…hey…it's Soul…"

The door clicked shut and his voice was muffled out so I couldn't hear him. So, with a small sigh, I turned back to the meal I was preparing. I thought it was going to be your average Thursday night...like it always was. But somehow, Soul just had to find that letter. I mean…it was great that he was talking to his brother again…but it was just one of those times when I wanted to have a normal night with my not so normal boyfriend. Deep down, I knew Wes was great, polite and an amazing person even if I hadn't met him…but at that moment I just wanted to kick him.

I scooped up booth pieces of cooked salmon and set them on the cutting board so I could turn down the heat and set the pan into the sink. As soon as that was done I grabbed some seasoning from the cupboard and sprinkled it on the red meat. True, I didn't like fish much, but with the right amount of seasoning and spice made it edible for me. I reached into the closest drawer and pulled out the knife so I could cut the meat into squares. Then, I set them down onto a plate; along with some corn and rice that had been cooking in a different pan.

"Yeah…fine, fine…"

As Soul's voice came back into the room I picked up our plates and took them over to the table. He wasn't done, so I was sure he was listening to his brother while he sat down in his chair. Suddenly, he held back a gasp and one of his eyes twitched slightly. "What! Wes you can't—" He was cut off by his brother as I sat down on the other side of the table. "But…I don't live alone—I—Wes! Shut up for a second…stop talkin'" I watched a she set his head in his hand and his elbow on the table. He groaned in annoyance and shut his eyes. "Thank you…"

"Soul…eat your food…"

Soul held up a finger as he shut his eyes and continued on his talk with his brother. "Ok, ok, fine." He then breathed out quietly. "Go ahead…just…try not to arrive on our doorstep at four in the morning…" I paused in the middle of taking a bite of my food and let my hand fall back down onto the table. "Yes…I said "our" … I told you…I'm living with my girlfriend…" He groaned again and slid his plate to the side so he could set his chin on the table. "Wha? …her name is Maka…" He then said to his brother. "Wes…I gotta go. My foods gettin' cold…Bye…"

"What did you mean by "try not to arrive on our doorstep at four in the morning"?"

Soul clicked the phone to hang up and set it on the table so he could finally start to eat. "He…he's coming to visit." He then said to me as he picked up his fork. "And, well, he's the type of guy who likes to wake up early, just for the hell of it." He shoved a chunk of salmon in his mouth and chewed. When he swallowed, looked back up and shrugged. "I just don't want him waking us up so early you know…no matter how badly I want to see him."

"Is it something that runs in the family?" I asked him; causing him to pause before taking another bite. "You always seem to be up early…" I then said. "You know…before you fall back asleep." He looked at me in silence before finally shoving his fork into his mouth so he could eat more. "Soul…don't avoid the question…"

"YA-HAA!"

"AH!"

The front door slammed open and the blue haired maniac Soul and I called our friend entered the building with a huge grin. "Oh…Black*Star…" I breathed with a twitch of the eye as Tsubaki appeared behind him with an unsure look on her face. "How…unexpected of you…"

"SOUL!" Black*Star shouted with a finger in my boyfriend's direction. Soul just stared back with a piece of food sticking out of his mouth. "I heard that you got a job!" The blue haired maniac then yelled before making his way over and setting his hands on our dining table to lean in. "How bout we celebrate by going to a bar or something—"

"MAKA-CHOP!"

I slammed my book down on his head so he could crash against the table's surface, and as he slid off the table he set my hands on my hips with a glare. "Hell no!" I then yelled at him. "I made this dinner so Soul and I could celebrate alone!" Tsubaki made her way over with a sigh and helped Black*Star stand back up as I sat back down, crossed my arms and looked away. "Thanks for ruining the night…"

_Maka…_

I gave Soul a sideways glance and saw him looking at me with lazy sympathy. Then, with a sigh, he looked at the blue haired boy that had me upset. "Black*Star…dude, we'll hang some other time, alright?" He then said to him. Black*Star looked at his "brother" and pouted; causing Soul to lift a brow. "What? Did you need something too?"

"Well actually," Black*Star began as he sat down and smiled at Soul. Tsubaki seemed to know what he was going to say since she stepped over and set her hands on his shoulders. "I—the great Black*Star—got a job too!" I stopped my pout and looked over to the two boys as they spoke. Soul's eyes actually put on a little interest as he lifted a brow.

"Really?"

"Yeah!"

I stood up from my seat quickly and grabbed my plate as the two of them chatted away about Black*Star's new job. It didn't seem that any of them noticed that I had gotten up and walked away. I opened the front door and walked outside so I could eat my dinner in peace. The random visits Black*Star gave us eventually got old and we were finally used to it. But lately, they've just been annoying.

_Maka, come back…_

"Oh shut up, will you?" I breathed out before taking another bite of my food; sitting down on the steps that led to our floor in the complex. Are you curious to know who I just spoke to? Well…ever since the day Soul and I first became…well…intimate…somehow we could communicate. Or I guess, he could communicate with me. I couldn't exactly talk back…I just guessed that it had something to do with my abilities…also that sometimes, he could tell what I was feeling without even looking at me. And when we'd be far apart, I'd see things that represented what _'he'd'_ be feeling. …Crazy stuff right? …I'll say…

"Maka-Chan?"

"Come on out…"

I heard the door shut and a few seconds later, Tsubaki's light footsteps were heard as she made her way over to me to sit down next to me. "I'm sorry about Black*Star," She said to me lightly as I shoved more of my meal into my mouth. "He was just excited to hear about Soul going for a job interview…" I shrugged it off and she smiled a little at me. "We didn't even check to see if he even got it or not…did he?"

"Yeah," I answered as I set the plate down between us. She smiled a little more and said something about it being great news, so I smiled lightly and nodded. "Yeah, he's starting on Monday…" I then said to her. "Oh! And, his brother's coming to see us tomorrow!"

"Wes?" Tsubaki asked with a large hint of surprise in her voice. I nodded with a large smile and she tilted her head to the side. "Really?" She then breathed; causing me to nod again. "But I thought that his brother was missing…"

"He was," I told her before looking away and down the stairs to the street below. On the wall just behind Soul's bike, I could see Blair trotting about and clawing at something I couldn't see. "He sent a letter awhile back saying that he was found. Soul gave him a call…and well, Wes is coming to visit us tomorrow. Or I guess, he's coming to visit his little brother, not me. But it's still great to meet him…I guess…"

"Will you still be able to go on that date?"

"Oh yeah, of course!" I said to her happily; keeping my eyes on the purple furred cat down by the street. Suddenly, Blair squealed and hissed with an arch of her back before running off to hide from whatever had scared her. The thing that had scared her though was a loud crashing noise that came from within the apartment. So Tsubaki and I both looked at the door with wide and confused eyes. "What now…" I breathed as I stood up and grabbed the plate. I made my way over to the front door—Tsubaki not too far behind—and opened it to go inside. I tried very hard not to drop my plate, as Tsubaki gasped from behind me.

"Black*Star!"

My eyes twitched as I watched the blue haired man turnaround from where he stood. The dining table was flipped over, my china plates were shattered on the ground and all four chairs had been knocked over; Soul nowhere to be seen. "What?" Black*Star asked as if nothing had happened. I growled angrily as Soul's head finally came into view from behind the couch; his lazy eyes actually showing a little fear. "There was this _'huuuuge' _spider…It was threatening _'my'_ hugeness in this world…I had to destroy it!"

"GET OUT!" I yelled as I finally snapped and stepped aside to point out the door. Tsubaki flinched and walked over to the blue haired man so she could grab him by the arm and pull him out. "I'll see you two tomorrow…" I muttered as the other woman in the building besides me mumbled out a goodnight. "Please, Black*Star, behave yourself then…and maybe I won't kill you."

"K! See you tomor—"

I slammed the door and glared at the door quietly; my plate still held up in my hands. I felt Soul approach from my left and take it from me so he could go set it down before I could drop it. "Why…is he always like that…?" I finally let out in a growl as Soul began making his way over to the table to pick it back up. I kept my eyes on the door while I listened to the shuffling of chair legs and clattering of broken china plates. It almost seemed like my plates were never going to be safe in this damn apartment.

"Eh...I'm not even sure," I heard him mumble from the kitchen as the clatter of plates came to a stop. "He probably won't stop unless something big happens…" He let out a soft chuckle as I heard another chair get picked up. "Like something bigger than him all together." I rolled my eyes as I felt his presence come closer and as soon as his arms wrapped around my waist, his laughing stopped. "Come on…it's late…" He then said to me; his head finding its spot in the crook of my neck. "Stop glaring at the door and let's go to bed."

"I'm not glaring at it anymore…"

"Don't care…lets go,"

Soul began to back up and pull me with him so he could take me into our room, but the resistance I gave him, caused him to stumble a bit and stop. "I don't feel like it," I pouted as I kept my eyes on the door. I felt him sigh on my neck and try and pull me again, but I kept my feet firmly where they were. "Not tired." Hearing him mumble something against my skin, I felt him slide his arms further down my waist. I looked down for only a moment, before looking back up since he had tightened his hold and lifted me off of the ground; taking his head away from my neck to make things easier. "S-Soul!" I gasped with a light laugh as he turned around and walked towards our room. "Put me down!" I put my hands on his wrists and tried to pull them away, but he was stronger than me of course. "Soul!"

"Going down…"

I felt my hair brush up against my face as the both of us fell onto the bed; his face lodged between my shoulder blades as I laughed lightly. After I calmed, I shifted within his hold and looked at the ceiling. Then, a small smile spread across my lips again. "You're not even tired are you…?" He squeezed me tighter and groaned out a no; causing me to roll my eyes and sigh. "Then…why are you…"

"Are you against cuddling, or something?"

"N-No, I was just—gya!" He squeezed me a little too tight that time. "Soul…can't…breathe…"

"Sorry…" Soul breathed as he loosened his hold enough for me to turn my body and face him. Though, the position we ended up being was that his face was now in between my—let's not forget—small breasts. "Don't want you escaping…" His voice muffled from within my chest. I sighed and put on a smile before setting my hand on his head. Everything seemed to be peaceful whenever we were alone. Even sometimes before we had gotten together, things were peaceful…at times, I really just wanted things to stay that way…

Especially when we fought…

"Stop being gloomy," Soul said as he gave the skin on my back a pinch; causing me to jump in shock. "I don't like it…"

"Oh yeah?" I asked in irritation as I grabbed a chunk of his hair with my hand. "I don't like it when you pinch me either," I then said; pulling his head back. As he cringed in pain, I slid down in his hold so he didn't have to be in between my boobs any longer. "Got it, dummy?" He looked at me with an annoyed glare for a moment before sighing and leaning his head forward to kiss me lightly on the lips. Almost so light, it gave me goose bumps; no matter how warm I was in his arms.

"Yeah, I got it…"


	2. His Brother

_Destroying a Perfect Soul_

_Chapter 2: His Brother_

_"I don't think I'll ever be able to explain to you how I felt when Natalie said those words…"_

_"The tire marks on the pavement and the strain I could feel on his soul made it all the more true,"_

_"Soul was gone."_

* * *

A light raping came to the front door and woke us both at the same time. Though, we had different reactions of course. He only groaned and hugged my waist tighter as I just glanced over to the clock. "Six in the morning…" I muttered to myself in confusion. "Who in the world…?" I looked up at our bedroom door and heard the knock again. I wondered again who it was until Soul spoke.

"It's probably Wes…" He groaned as I sat up to lean on my elbows. I let out a light groan of my own before trying to get up and off the bed, but he only squeezed tighter. "No," he then said to me; causing me to look over my shoulder at him. What did he mean "no"? "He's here too early…let him freeze."

"Soul, he's your brother." I told him sternly. "Be gracious that I'm not making _'you' _get up and answer the door." I then said. That was all he needed to be told to let go of me and I quickly slipped off of the bed and made my way over to our bedroom door. I quickly slipped on some sweatpants though before leaving, but as I reached for the door handle Soul sat up; calling my name. "What?" I asked; looking over my shoulder.

"Don't let his good looks and nice charm hypnotize you…"

"…What?" I breathed in question as he lied back down to cover his head. I went to ask again, but, before I could get the answer out of him, the door was knocked on one more time, so I turned to leave and made my way over to the front door. I laid my hand on the handle and pulled the door open to greet the person with a tired smile. "Hello…oh…uh…" Outside in the morning air, a tall man with white hair that resembled Soul's stood in a long black coat. His crimson eyes narrowed sympathetically and he gave me a polite, apologetic and normal smile. 'I'm in love with Soul…' I thought to myself as I stared at the handsome man.

"I'm terribly sorry if I've woken you up…"

"N-No…It's alright…"

"Are you positive?"

I nodded to the man and took a step aside. "Please, come inside." I then told him with my hand out to present to him the room. He nodded with the same polite smile and entered the building so I could shut the door behind him. I began to tell him about the coat rack when I turned around, but once I was facing him, I could see that he had already found it and hung his large coat; revealing the white dress shirt he wore underneath. My head tilted to the side as he glanced around the apartment with a small smile. He looked a lot like Soul…or I guess a better way to put it was that Soul looked a lot like his brother!

"Very nice little apartment you have…" Wes said before facing me. "Oh, where are my manors?" He then asked before giving me a bow of the head and setting his hand on his chest. "I'm Wes, Soul's older brother," I wanted to tell him that I already knew that, but for some reason, I couldn't speak. Why couldn't Soul be charming like his brother…? "And, you must be Maka…?"

"Oh! Yes, I am." I answered as I took his extended hand to shake it. But instead of shaking it, he brought my knuckles to his lips and kissed them; causing me to blush lightly. "Eh…uh…"

"It's a pleasure to meet you," Wes said to me with a smile; letting my hand fall back to my side. Then, with slight curiosity in his crimson colored eyes, he glanced around as if he was searching for something. But, I think it was a "someone" that he was actually looking for… "Where is Soul?" He breathed out quietly as his eyes fell upon the small kitchen. "Usually, he should be awake around this time…"

I took a step forward over to the table and pushed one of the chairs a little further under it. "He's in the room still," I then told him; watching him finally set down the bag he had with him. "He wakes up early, but he likes to go right back to sleep…" Wes looked my way with a raised brow as I shrugged. "He's a lazy one…" I then said; causing him to let out a small giggle, which in return, made me laugh lightly too. When we stopped, I looked back up, only to catch him yawn—politely of course. "Oh! Here…this bedroom isn't being used." I stuttered out as I made my way over to my old room. I opened the door and presented everything inside to the older musician in the apartment. "You can stay in here…sleep maybe…'cause I'm going to go join Soul and sleep for a little while longer too…"

"Much obliged, thank you Maka."

"Y-yeah…" I said back with a small wave of the hand as he entered the room. "See you…later…I guess…" I then said before awkwardly turning around and making my way back to the room. Once the door was opened and shut again, I turned around to see Soul gazing at my gaping face. "Your brother is gorgeous!" I then said in awe; causing him to roll his eyes and plop his head back onto the pillow. "He's even got a British accent! Why don't _'you'_ have a British accent?" I asked him as I made my way over and got on the bed. "And why can't you be as proper as he is? He's almost too much…"

"Because all those things are what makes him, Wes." Soul answered coldly as he stared at the wall. I blinked in confusion and leaned down to brush his hair from his eyes. "He was first. So that means he spent more time around Mother. And because he spent more time with her, the accent grew on him. My accent went away a year after she died…because of three reasons. One: I didn't want to do it if Mother wasn't there to do it with me. Two: Because Wes had an accent, and Three: Because I just didn't spend enough time around it anyway…"

"You had an accent when you were little?" I asked him quietly as I lied down behind him and hung my head above his. With a sideways glance my way, he shut his eyes and opened them again to reveal him looking at the wall again; nodding. "You did? Oh how cute!" I then squealed; imagining a young Soul speaking with a British accent. "I can barely remember it…but now that I think about it, back at the dinner party I went to…there was a little bit of an accent…"

"I'm not very proud of it, you know…" Soul groaned as I squealed in his ear. "And the reason I'm not proper like him is because I'm a rebel." He then said; causing me to stop squealing and look at him. "Deal with it…" He narrowed his eyes slightly. "I'm not my brother…as much as I love him…I will never be like him."

I pursed my lips for a second, before letting out a silent sigh and smiling at him. Then, I laid my head down on top of his and cuddled closer to his body. "I love you, Soul…" I then said to him as his eyes finally shut. Though, even though I couldn't see, I knew his scowl had disappeared and he had a toothy grin on his face; breathing out the same words I had just seconds ago.

"Love you too…"

* * *

Later that morning—around 8:00—Soul and I left the bedroom and parted ways: he went to the living room and I went to the kitchen. Though, once I caught sight of him reaching for the remote I ran over and snatched it up before him. Once his crimson eyes were up and looking at me in confusion, I held up a finger to shush him. "Your brother's probably still sleeping," I then told him before holding out the remote. "Make sure you don't watch it too loudly. I don't want to be a bad host and wake him up. It's not nice."

"Where's he sleeping…"

"Where do you think?" I asked him as I turned to walk back over to the kitchen. "I'm making some eggs and toast, k?" I then called before taking out the toaster to plug it in. I made sure not to make too much noise so Wes wouldn't wake. But if I remembered correctly, It took a lot to wake me up when I was in that bedroom. It was either the walls or just me that blocked out the sound.

"Damn it!"

Angry I turned around and hissed at Soul after he had yelled angrily at the T.V. "Soul! Be quiet!" He looked around the corner at me with a frustrated face that told me that he was pissed and sorry at the same time; which, actually, is very hard for a person to do, but Soul seemed to pull it off well. "Your brother's sleep—" The door to the new guest room creaked open and a head of white peered out and it's crimson eyes fell upon me. My mouth slammed shut and I gave myself a mental slap to the forehead. "Uh...Sorry, Wes…did we...did I…?"

"Oh, no…" Wes said to me as he opened the door all the way. He stepped out with a polite smile. "I woke up a little while ago…" He then said to me; shutting the door behind him. "I just stayed inside the room to work on some things until the two of you were awake," He glanced over to Soul as the younger of the two watched quietly with slightly wide eyes. "Ah, hello little brother, it's nice to see you." Soul cracked a small grin as Wes smiled at him.

"Y-Yeah…you too…"

"How old are you now…?"

"Twenty one."

"Has it really been that long…?" Wes breathed as he made his way over to the living room to sit down with his younger brother. I kept making the eggs and toast as the two of them talked; the sound of the eggs cooking and the volume of the basketball game on the T.V making it tough for me to hear them. I sprinkled some salt and pepper on the eggs as I shoved another two pieces of bread in the toaster. And once the first two eggs were done, I slipped them onto the two pieces of bread and made my way over to the living room. "Ah, that reminds me of something I must ask of you," I heard Wes say as I handed Soul the plate of eggs and toast.

"What?"

As Soul shoved a piece of toast in his mouth, I glanced over to his brother and saw him set his hands on his knee as he crossed his legs. "Well, as you've said, people who knew you in school all know about you being alive…" Wes then said to him; causing Soul to nod. "Not very many people know of _'my' _living though…and many more in the world know of neither of us…" Soul glanced up with a lifted brow; swallowing in what he had in his mouth before getting ready to take another bite.

"Where are going with this, Wes?"

"I was wondering if we could host another dinner party." Wes simply answered; causing Soul to nearly choke on his food. I gasped and began patting his back so he wouldn't, as his brother continued. "I have already made invitations, and I've gone home and had someone clean the place up. I've planned for it to be Sunday night...maybe next weekend if it's too soon." He said as he smiled a little more. "I'd just like the world to know that we are alive…you don't have to return to that life if you don't want to…it's just that…The party won't be complete without my little brother being there."

"Hell no!"

"Soul…" I breathed as my boyfriend got to his feet and began walking away. I reached for his hand with my own, but it slipped right off as soon as I had it. Soul, then walked into our room and slammed the door behind him; leaving his brother and I alone in the living room. "I…I'm so sorry," I said to him as I looked his way again. "He's like that…I'll go and talk to him if you want…"

Wes shut his eyes and shook his head with a small relaxed smile. "I knew he'd say that…so it's no problem at all…" For a moment the two of us fell silent. That is…until I heard the toaster go off. With a small squeak of an "excuse me" I stood up and made my way over to the kitchen. Wes was still silent as I cooked another two eggs, and he was still quiet by the time I had made my way back over with another two plates of food. Though, I got him to speak when I handed him the plate. "Oh…thank you…"

"You're welcome." I told him as I sat down to eat my food too. My eyes were immediately on the basketball going on the T.V screen and I soon found out why Soul had shouted earlier. His team was losing… "Do you watch basketball…?" I asked Wes as I glanced over to see him take a small polite bite of his food. He looked up at me and then after another moment, he looked over at the T.V. "Or…is it something Soul does?"

Wes shrugged and looked back over to me. "He never used to be all that into the sport…" He then told me. "But I suppose after I left, he began to like it," He took another bite of his food, trying not to get his shirt dirty, and then, after swallowing, he looked back up at me. "Are you curious on where I went as well…?" He then asked me; causing me to glance away from the T.V and over to him. "He made it obviously clear…but what about you Miss. Albarn?"

"Maka." I corrected as I set the plate down on the table. Wes seemed to make an apologetic expression but I waved it off and leaned on the couch's arm. "Yeah, though…" I then said to him as his face went back to normal. "I've actually been pretty curious myself…'Cause; as you can see…Soul was kinda kicked out of the mansion…Your part of the reason why, and I'm the one who took him in. So…I'm a little curious as to why the reason for him to be kicked out like that, suddenly disappeared…"

Wes smiled at me and shut his eyes. "You're a very kind woman to take my little brother in…" He then said to me quietly. I smiled back and waited for him to continue. "You see…Soul went to school one morning without officially letting me know he left, and usually I would stay in my bedroom unless I really needed to leave. When I'd leave, I usually had someone to walk with me, just in case." He opened his eyes and looked at the window on the furthest wall from him. "Since Soul hadn't told me he left, I was going to make a quick trip down the hall to ask him what he wanted for dinner that night, since I was going to send someone out, but I saw he wasn't in his bedroom…"

"What does this have to do with your disappearance?" I asked him as politely as I could. I didn't want to seem rude. "It almost sounds like your saying Soul was the one who disappeared."

"Ah, that was only the beginning…" Wes told me; still looking out the window. Then, he let out a soft sigh and looked down to the ground near the coffee table. "Since I hadn't found him in his room, I decided to keep looking. I hadn't told anyone to walk with me, so I was alone…" His eyes shut again and he held his hands together; letting out a soft laugh. "Silly me…I hadn't realized that he had gone to school…I didn't realize it was Monday morning. So, I was foolish to walk outside by myself and walk up to the hill where he usually sat to think. He wasn't there, and by the time I finally remembered of his school…someone had snuck up behind me and knocked me out cold." As soon as I let out a gasp, he looked back up and at me. "By the time I woke up, I was in the very lair that belonged to my kidnaper. The woman who had killed our parents…"

"Medusa?"

"Correct."

My eyes widened greatly and I looked down as soon as I had the chance to pull away from his calm crimson eyes. That was probably the reason Medusa had fallen so impatient with the two of us five years ago. Wes had escaped, and she didn't have either of the brothers. So she probably went to attack Soul and kill him to make up for it! "What is wrong with that woman?" I mumbled out; getting Wes's attention. "What gave her the influence to even kill your parents in the first place! She kidnaps you, and then tries to kill Soul while he's walking home with me…she's insane, isn't she?" I put my hands upon my head and set my elbows on my knees so I could look at the ground. "What gave her the right to mess with your family? She didn't even have a purpose did she?"

"That…is a mystery that I've been trying to solve for many years." Wes said to me quietly; causing me to look back up. He was looking away again, and this time his eyes were glossy as if he was remembering something. "Mother and Father knew Medusa before their deaths…she was the mother of a friend of Soul's…" He then said as if describing the memory he was having. My eyes widened slightly, and I felt Soul's soul shift within the room and come to the door. "That's all I've figured out...I knew who is friend was…but, I hadn't met the mother. And...I'm glad I didn't, but sad at the same time…"

"I thought about it…and I've changed my mind…"

Wes and I both looked over in the direction of the bedroom and watched Soul walk over and stop beside the couch I sat on. "I'll go to the party," He then said; causing his brother and I to smile. But then, he held up a finger and shut his eyes. "But on two conditions." Wes looked at his brother for a moment with no expression, but then, he smiled and nodded as Soul cracked one eyes open to see his response. "It's free to get in, and Maka and I can invite anyone we want." Wes smiled a little more and nodded, while I lifted a brow.

"Of course."

"Why am _'I' _in this…?"


	3. Not so Romantic

_Just as a head's up! Theres a lot of cussing, and sexual content in this chapter~!_

_Enjoy anyway :D_

_

* * *

_

_Destroying a Perfect Soul_

_Chapter 3: Not so Romantic_

_"I don't think I'll ever be able to explain to you how I felt when Natalie said those words…"_

_"The tire marks on the pavement and the strain I could feel on his soul made it all the more true,"_

_"Soul was gone."_

* * *

I snapped the button on the collar of my dress and took a step back to give myself a good look. Nice. I looked very nice, and I was proud of what I wore. Just a normal dark green slim dress that buttoned up on the collar. It was lined with black lace all the way around the top and bottom just for a little flare. And the black bow in the back bounced when I spun around to look at the back. I loved it…and I was going to wear it. I didn't care if Soul ended up saying something…I was still going to wear it.

"Pretty dull color of green, don't you think?"

I glared at Soul as he fixed his tie in the other side of the closet mirror. He finished the final touches and glanced over to me in the corner of his eyes. "I like this dress…" I growled as he fixed his cuffs; his crimson eyes going back to the mirror. "I'm going to wear it if it's dull or not…" I saw him roll his eyes, so with another glare I hit him in the side and turned to leave the room. I opened the door and walked into the living room to grab my bracelet since I had set it on the coffee table earlier. Even though it may have not matched…I wanted to wear it…

"Are you going somewhere?"

As I picked up the bracelet Soul had bought for me a few Christmases ago, I looked over to his brother as he sat on the couch to read. "Oh, yeah." I said to him with a nod. "Soul and I have a double date with some friends of ours, so if you don't mind being alone for a little while…?" Wes looked at me for a moment before glancing over to the window. I watched patiently as he then, stood and shut his book; a smile on his face. I was sure he was still a little scared to be alone…

"I don't mind at all…" He told me as he began making his way over to the room. "I'll just go in the room, I'm more comfortable in there," Yeah…I was right on the money.

As Wes opened the door, Soul came out of our room in the middle of putting his jacket on. He walked over to the window that led out to the street and his face lit up in light for a moment. "Some…ominous car has just pulled up in front our complex…" I heard him mumble out as I walked over to see the car. I pushed him aside and looked out the window too so I could spot the so called "evil" he had sighted, but only saw, the doors open to reveal the angelic woman who was able to live with Black*Star and not kill herself.

"Ugh…Soul, it's our ride." I told him before walking over to the coat rack to grab my thin black jacket that had only one button in the middle. "Come on," I opened the front door, but turned to watch Soul walk over to his brother over my the bedroom.

"Do you need anything?"

"No, I'm sure I'll be fine."

Soul looked at his brother lazily for a moment before setting one hand in his pocket and pointing over to the kitchen with the other. "Ok, but if you get hungry, there's cup noodles in the cupboard above the sink." He then said; causing Wes to make a confused face. "Yeah…I didn't know what it was at first either, but trust me they're good," I giggled as Soul made hand movements that resembled peeling the lid of a cup noodle. "It's like preserved noodles or something…Just pour hot water in and wait like three minutes, it's good."

"People actually eat that…?"

"Yeah." Soul answered with a nod. "But it's good," He then said yet again; beginning to back up to come to the door. "And addicting." Wes let out a light laugh as Soul smiled and turned to leave, but seeing that I was still in the doorway and watching them, he jumped and looked away. "How long have you been standing there…?" He asked me with a shaken, but cool voice. I rolled my eyes.

"The whole time. Now let's go."

"Soul," Wes called; causing the both of us to stop. Though I didn't look back…I knew Soul did. "Be careful," I heard Wes then say; causing Soul to groan out a "yeah, yeah"; taking my hand so we could move on, but his brother spoke up again. "She looks very beautiful by the way," I blushed as Soul's hand tightened around mine. "Where ever did you find such a woman…?" I heard Soul let out a soft laugh.

"Oh, I didn't find her…" He said to his brother. "She found me." He then told him. Sure it was cheesy sounding, but I blushed anyway…and I leaned over to kiss him on the cheek to before pulling him over to the steps. "See ya, Wes. Don't disappear while we're gone." I glanced over my shoulder as Soul waved his brother off, and watched Wes shut the door behind us. Then, I looked back forward and eyed the blue haired man sticking his head out of the driver's seat window.

"Since when did you get a car…?" I asked as Soul and I made it to the bottom of the steps. Soul let go of my hand to go talk to his other "brother" and I made my way over to Tsubaki. "Last time I checked, he gave you piggy back rides across town mostly for his "godly" exercise."

Tsubaki giggled as I opened the back seat door and leaned on the car. "Black*Star actually got one a few weeks ago," She then told me with a smile. "I use it to get to work, since the restaurant is on the other side of the city." She pointed behind her and towards Shibusen and I looked only for a second before turning my attention back to her. "That's actually where we're going to eat tonight,"

"Your restaurant?" I asked as the boys entered the car from the other side. After Tsubaki and I got in, she nodded, shut the door, put her seatbelt on and turned to face Soul and I; Black*Star pushing on the gas so we could start moving. "I see…so we're in fancy clothing 'cause your restaurant is high classed right?"

"Well it _'is' _on the other side of town," Tsubaki said to me with a small shrug. "Everything over there is classy," I lifted a brow and titled my head to the side to show my confusion. What did she mean by that? "Did no one ever explain that to you?" She asked me, probably noticing my confusion. As Soul let out a soft chuckle, I shook my head; causing Tsubaki to lightly giggle as well. "It's where Soul used to live. I was sure he told you that…"

I looked at Soul quickly with a slight pout as he laughed to himself. Then, once he noticed that I had been looking at him, he stopped. "Oh…well, you see…" He began; looking at Tsubaki and then me again. Then, with a sigh, he relaxed and shifted in his seat. "Well, you know how Death City is one big circle around Shibusen right…?" I nodded. "One side—the front side of Shibusen—is where all the average people live. Like you, me, Tsubaki and Black*Star. The other side is where all the rich people live. My brother has his own little house over there now…and well, Kid's mansion is in between everything on the left side, but I guess that's only 'cause of his OCD issue."

"Oh so you lived on that side before you came to live with me…?"

"Yeah," Soul answered me as he leaned back and brought his arm around and over my shoulders. "All the mansions are over there—except for Kids I guess." He then said. "It's much more spread out over there though…more land for the yards and stuff. The district area is in the middle, and that's probably, with no doubt, where Tsubaki's restaurant is." He looked at me as I kept staring at him and he lifted a brow. "What? Did you think I lived outside of Death City or something?" I nodded.

"Kinda…yeah…"

"Oi…"

"Hey! You know, I may be driving, but I still need to have some spotlight here!"

We all looked at the driver of our transportation and saw him giving Soul and I a dirty look through the mirror. "Black*Star, keep your eyes on the road," Tsubaki said to him as she forcibly turned his head away to face the narrow street in front of us. "It was tough to find a road for a car that lead to the restaurant, but, this one seemed to get me there the quickest…" She then said as she turned to look at me again. "I'm sure you two will love it!" She looked at Soul as he gave her a lazy but interested stare. "We have a special homemade seasoning for the steaks and other meats…it's very good." Soul lifted a brow.

"You cook it?"

"I am the new chef, aren't I?"

"…cool."

* * *

"Thank you!"

Tsubaki waved goodbye to the waitress that had set down our dinner plates and had just finished having a conversation with, while the rest of us stared at our food. Black*Star got probably one of the biggest burgers you could find in a fancy restaurant such as this place, Soul got one of the most expensive stakes I've ever seen, and I got some stuffed chicken thing that Tsubaki told me was good. What she got? She got the same thing as me…'cause it was her favorite. Not because she decided to copy me…

So far it was a perfect night. Although…something told me that Black*Star was going to ruin everything…

"Alright," Tsubaki began as she turned her attention back to us. "What you have in front of you has our very own homemade spices and seasonings." She looked over to Soul as he drooled over the steak in front of him, and then with a giggle she picked up her fork. "Soul, you may dig in…"

"Yes!"

As soon as he had his fork and knife he was cutting away at the meat so he could eat it. I laughed lightly before picking up my own fork. "Well, if it's as good as you say it is…" I then began as I cut a piece and stabbed it with the fork. I glanced back up to see Tsubaki smile and nod. "I guess I'll dig in too~" I stuck the chicken in my mouth, shut my eyes and chewed; waiting for the flavor to kick in. And when it did, I think there were stars in my eyes. "Wow! This is great!"

"You think so?" Tsubaki asked me as she cut herself a piece to take a bite as well. I nodded to her as she smiled and put on a thoughtful face. When she swallowed she let out a soft giggle. "Well, it is good…but it's better when I cook it." She then said; causing Black*Star, beside her to laugh and set a hand on her shoulder.

"Oh~? Since when did Tsubaki actually brag about her cooking?" He asked her with a sly smirk as Soul stopped eating to see what was going on. We all, then, laughed along with her as soon as she started on her own. There were many things about Tsubaki that we understood…but there were a few things that we didn't. Like the fact that sometimes, she actually did brag about things she could do…and we don't realize it, but she does it all the time. She's able to hide it very well…and I mean _'very' _well…that's why it's so easy for her to deal with the freak that is Black*Star…because he brags a lot too. His bragging though…is a lot more noticeable. "OH~ Soul! Guess what!" Like right now for instance…

"…huh?"

"Tsubaki and I finally talked about our relationship!" Black*Star boomed with a huge grin; causing a few people to look over. Tsubaki smiled lightly and set a hand on his shoulder: a light gesture of telling him to be a little quieter. "And…well, we're finally an actual couple," The blue haired man winked with the same large grin as he held up a pinky finger. I saw Tsubaki roll her eyes with a smile and pick up her drink to quench her thirst as her new "boyfriend" continued. "And, we even had sex!"

"B-BLACK*STAR!"

"Nice!"

As Soul and Black*Star gave each other a high five, Tsubaki nearly choked on her drink. I sprung to my feet and ran over to the other side of the table so I could help her, but as soon as my hand was on her shoulder she stood up and mumbled something about wanting to use the restroom. "Black*Star!" I semi-yelled as I pulled my eyes away from her so I could look at the blue haired man. "That is not a proper subject to talk about at the dinner table." I then said to him; sitting back down next to Soul with a glare in the other man's direction. Black*Star stared back at me with a stupidly blank expression on his face before letting out a giggle and looking at Soul.

"You guys have had sex too, right?"

"Black*Star!"

"Uh…yeah…"

As my face turned bright red Soul just gave his best friend a lazily curious stare. I think my body was shaking by the time, Black*Star had leaned in with a sly smile. "How is it?" He then asked Soul; causing my eye to twitch. I looked at Soul with a deep glare. Soul just stared at Black*Star for about a minute or so before lifting a brow.

"Must I comment on my sex life?" He asked the blue haired man in front of him. "Last time I checked…it was mine. Not yours…"

"How's the oral sex?"

That time Soul was the one to turn bright red and he actually began twitching in anger. "B-Black*Star that is really none of your business…" Soul then growled as his finally put on a glare. Though, Black*Star seemed to find it funny and begin laughing just as Tsubaki returned and sat down in her seat. She looked at him and then me before lifting a brow; basically asking me why the two of us were so red and why he was laughing again. "What the fuck do you find so funny?" Soul snapped angrily after another few moments of bearing his laughter.

"You guys haven't done that yet, have you!"

"Done what?"

"The oral part of your sex, duh!"

I stood up and glared at the blue haired idiot. "Can you really stop yelling that so loud!" I shouted at him; causing even more curious stares in our direction. He only grinned and shook his head; causing my anger to boil even more. "Don't make me take out the book…" I then growled as Soul tried to take my hand in an attempt of calming me. I only pulled my hand away and watched as Black*Star opened his mouth. I ground my teeth, and my eyes became fiercer and fiercer as he took in a deep breath. Then…of course…he had to yell at the top of his lungs so _'everyone' _could hear him.

"MAKA HASN'T GIVEN SOUL A BLOW JOB!"

"MAKA-CHOP, MAKA-CHOP, MAKA-FUCKING-CHOP!"

* * *

The car ride was silent on the way back. I had my arms crossed and I was looking out the window the whole time. I was sure Soul was doing the same thing, since we were both highly frustrated with the blue haired man driving the car. Tsubaki was only silent because of her embarrassment and the fact that Black*Star had caused all of this. He, though, was not silent. He was acting as if nothing had happened. He was whistling and singing along to the silent music as he drove and sometimes he'd begin to drum on the wheel to the beat of the song. After another three minutes of listening to a lame song, a new one came on and Black*Star made it obvious that he liked it…he began drumming and whistling again.

"Black*Star, shut the fuck up!" Soul snapped; finally losing it and kicking the other man's seat. "Seriously…"

"Hey, it's not my fault that your girlfriend doesn't give you head…" Black*Star mumbled to himself; causing Soul to snap again and reach forward to strangle him. "ACH!" Black*Star's hands let go of the wheel and he reached up to pry Soul's hands away from his neck. This immediately caused the car to begin to swerve, but Tsubaki, out of panic, took the wheel as I reached over to Soul and grabbed his arms.

"Soul, we're going to crash!"

"You prick! I'm going to kill you!"

I finally pulled his arms away from Black*Star and almost as soon as he got the chance, he took the wheel again and glared forward. "Do you even want it?" He then muttered; causing Soul and I to look up at him. "Doesn't every guy want it…I know I do…" I looked at Soul and saw him turning bright red as he glared at the blue haired man. "Soul…you must be one strange guy if you don't at least want to do it once…"

"I get sex, and I'm just fine with that…"

"HA! Yeah right…"

I watched closely as Soul reached forward to strangle Black*Star again. But, Tsubaki slapped his hand away and began to stare at him like some kind of watch dog. I began to glare as I studied the blush on his face and how flustered he became when it was mentioned. He really did want it…I could tell…and it made me so angry…I wanted to strangle him too. But instead, I turned to look at the driver. "Black*Star, stop the car, I can walk from here."

"Huh? Oh…ok…"

"Maka! What are you—"

"SAVE IT!" I shouted as I slammed the car door and began walking in the direction of the apartment. I heard him call out my name again as he opened his door, and once the door shut again, I could hear him running towards me. "Soul, I'm not in the best of moods right now!" I yelled as I crossed my arms to keep me warm from the chilly night.

"Maka, what the hell!"

As soon as I made it to the steps that led to our apartment, I stopped, turned around and pointed. "This, "sex" shit, that Black*Star's been rambling on about! That's what!" I then yelled before turning around again. I began walking up the steps as Soul called out my name again, but I just held up a hand over my shoulder. "This was absolutely the worst date ever…not even romantic at all!" Half way up the steps, Soul had finally caught up to me and grabbed my hand to stop me, but I just pulled it away and turned to glare at him. "How long have you wanted me to "give you head" hm? You could have asked! Maybe we could have saved ourselves from this embarrassing night!"

"Maka, I never said I wanted—" He began, but I only turned away and kept walking up the stairs. "Seriously? You're going to let some stupid thing make you angry!" I heard him shout from behind as he followed me to the front door. I ignored him and went to open the door, but only found that Wes had locked it after we left. With a roll of my eyes, I knelt down and grabbed the key from under the mat so I could unlock the door. "Maka!" I opened the door angrily and stormed over to the room; ripping off my jacket and tossing it on the table on the way. Once I entered our bedroom and turned around I spoke before he could yell at me again.

"Why do you, men, always have to care about that shit!"

"Can you maybe, I don't know…shut the fuck up so you don't wake up my brother!"

I slammed the door in his face as soon as he said that and began to unbutton my dress from the collar while Soul angrily growled from the kitchen. "If you even ask for it, I will absolutely _'not'_ give it to you!" I then shouted as I pulled the dress off and tossed it onto the chair at the desk. As I tore one of his T-shirts from the closet, I found myself growling in annoyance. Why did he have to be like that? Why did _'Soul'_ have to be like that! I know that we had many nights where we'd get intimate, but never had he asked for _'that'_! So why in the world was it being brought up now!

"It was fucking Black*Star!"

"Bullshit." I snapped as Soul charged into the room and slammed the door behind him; causing me to look at him sternly. "Oh, what happened to staying quiet for your brother?" He shot me a glare as he began to tear his coat off.

"Fuck off."

That's when I snapped. So, with a fierce glare, I raised my hand and slapped him across the face; an echo forming throughout the building. As soon as he recovered and made a single movement, I reached forward and shoved him back. "Why the hell is all of this being brought up, huh!" I then shouted as he wiped his reddened cheek and looked at the ground. "Were you and Black*Star having some kind of talk about it before tonight! Because I sure as hell missed it!" He looked up with a glare of us own.

"You know what, Maka. Why don't you just blow me then!"

"MAKA-CHOP!" I screamed as I slammed the closest novel I could find into his scull. He grabbed his head in pain and walked back into the door as I tossed the book aside. "Why don't you go and sleep on the couch tonight!" I then yelled as he looked back up into my eyes; showing that he was pissed off but in pain at the same time. He then stood up straight and began walking towards me, which only angered me more. So I took a few steps back and raised my hand to slap him again.

"Damn it, Maka, listen to me!"

"What's there to listen to!"

I went to slap him again, but his hand came up on instinct and grabbed my wrist. So, with reflex, I lifted my other arm to do the job, but he grabbed that one too. And as I struggled to get out of his grasp, I began to back up. "Let go of me!" I shouted; feeling the bed come between my thighs and my knees. "Soul!" Just as I shouted his name, I felt his foot come behind me and knock me over so we both were lying on the bed; our faces only inches apart. I growled out his name one more time, but instead of taking the warning, he kissed me. "No…" I mumbled out through our kiss as he pulled back quickly before continuing.

"Just hear me out…" Soul breathed as he pulled away to kiss the edge of my lips. I kept struggling underneath him as he held my arms and I growled for him to get off. "As you know…" He then said to me as he traveled down my neck; each kiss sending shivers down my spine. "Black*Star is a fucking idiot who feels like its alright to shout out anything he wants," After pausing he looked up at me and grinned at my face. He could probably tell that I was still angry with him…but now I was just making it obvious that I liked what he was doing… "I've never once complained about it…he just thinks that because it hasn't happened…that I _'have'_ because…face it. He's Black*Star."

"The god of idiots…" I pouted as I looked away from his crimson eyes. He stopped his smiling, but only for a second, since his grin had appeared again and he had begun to kiss my neck once more. "No! Soul stop, I'm mad at you!" I yelled as I used my feet to push on the ground and push me out of his hold. But I only ended up making us both slide further onto the bed…and our position became a lot more sexual. "Soul—"

"Shut up,"

Pain struck on the left side of my neck and almost immediately I could tell that Soul had bitten me. "Soul!" I shouted in both anger and pain. I kicked my legs and finally ended up rolling him over just as he began to lick the new "wound" on my neck. Once I was on top of him, I held my head back and then dropped it hard against his forehead; causing him to let out a groan in annoyance. Somehow, though, his hands had found themselves up in my T-shirt and he quickly pulled it over my head in a way that I had no choice but to pull my arms out of the knotted mess. Once the shirt was on the ground I pulled back to give him another head butt, but he scowled and rolled us back over again.

"Bitch."

"Jerk."

"Is that all you got?" Soul said with a smirk before straddling my hips and sitting up to unbutton his dress shirt and toss it to the ground. But before he unbuttoned the last one, I smacked his hand away and did it myself. Then, still highly frustrated and angry with him, I tore it right off of him and threw it on the ground beside the bed. He stared at his torn shirt for a moment before looking at me a little surprised. "…What did the shirt do to you?" He then asked me. "I thought you were pissed at _'me'_?"

"I am!" I shouted before punching him in the chest. But for some reason he didn't even budge and he only lifted a brow. Eye twitching, I looked at his scar once before looking back into his eyes. "I'm going to shove a knife into your chest and tear each stitching out of that scar one by one…" Soul lifted a brow.

"Ooo~ Sounds kinky…"

As he gave me another sly shark toothed grin, I rolled my eyes and tried to push him off of me again but he only leaned down and licked the space between my breasts; sending goose bumps all throughout my body. On his way, his teeth hooked on the center strap of my bra, and with a quick bite, he actually snapped it in half. I gaped at the sight as he leaned back again; bringing my bra with him, and as he took it out of his mouth to toss it to the side he grinned once more. When did he undo the back…?

"What will it be Madame PMS?"

"Bra's already off…" I breathed as I glared at him and sat up to meet his gaze. "What do you think, jackass?" As soon as he let his guard down, I shoved him off of the bed and got to my feet; now wearing nothing but underwear. I blushed, but I was still furious, and I thought maybe a little tease would get him even angrier…since this was supposedly "Black*Star's fault"… As soon as he was back on his feet I stepped closer and brought my lips close to his…but only for a second. I then slid down slowly—letting my fingers trace his bare chest on the way—and stopped once I was on my knees. He froze in complete surprise…

Soul was now unable to move from the incredible shock he was enduring, and this made it all the more easier to tease him. I, still fucking pissed, hooked my fingers in his pant's loops and leaned forward to take the zipper in between my lips. He was still frozen solid. So with a small, sly smile, I pulled the zipper down just enough to make it easy for me to pull his pants right down to his ankles; luckily he had his boxers on…but the downside was that he was so turned on, that his "friend" was almost poking me right in the face. With an idea, I glanced up with an evil smirk.

"Down boy…"

"God damn it!" Soul cursed under his breath as I stood back up slowly. Then, before he could notice, I turned around and opened the drawer next to our bed; grabbing the yellow box of condoms we had bout the other week. Then, I shut the drawer, turned around and angrily tossed it at his face; which quickly smacked him out of his daze. As soon as it bounced off of his face and landed in his hands he stared at it for a moment before he gathered in what I was asking him to do. But, of course, being an idiot, he looked up at me with a raised brow. So, I rolled my eyes as I slid my underwear off.

"Just put the damn condom on you fucking asshole."


	4. Invitations

_Destroying a Perfect Soul_

Chapter 4: Invitations

_"I don't think I'll ever be able to explain to you how I felt when Natalie said those words…"_

_"The tire marks on the pavement and the strain I could feel on his soul made it all the more true,"_

_"Soul was gone."_

* * *

"I'm sorry…"

I paused as I tied the robe from around my waist, and looked over my shoulder. Soul, still hidden within the blankets, had spoken…I was sure of it. But I couldn't exactly see where he was because of a few things: The blankets, the lack of light in the room, and the fact that my eyes still wanted to be shut. "Soul," I said with a sigh; causing him to stir within the bed. I pulled the robe's collar up a little before making my way over to the bed to lean over and pull the blankets away from where his head should have been. Instead…I found his feet. "Uh—Soul!"

"Over here…"

I pulled the blankets away from the other side of the bed, and found his tired face giving me an apologetic stare. I narrowed my eyes for a moment before letting out a sigh and brushing some of his hair out of his face. "I know, I know…it was all Black*Star's fault." I then said to him as he kept his gaze firmly into my eyes. "I get it…I've thought about it…and I'm sorry too…" With a small smile, I leaned down a little more to kiss him and after standing back up, I turned to walk out of the room. "I'm going to jump in the shower…" I breathed as I opened the door; looking over my shoulder just in time to see him pull the blankets back over his head. I rolled my eyes and turned to leave the room, shut the door behind me and then head on over to the bathroom.

"Good morning, Maka."

Yelping in surprise, I jumped about three feet into the air and looked over to the kitchen slowly. Wes, over by the coffee pot let out a small laugh and apology as my frozen form finally relaxed. "Wes, I almost forgot you were here…" I breathed as he held up his mug to take a drink. I laughed with light nervousness and began walking again. "Oh, and good morning." I then said over my shoulder as I opened the bathroom door.

"Are you and Soul arguing?"

"Eh?"

I stopped and looked at him again as he lifted a brow curiously. "I heard yelling last night…" He then said to me; curiosity in his voice. "I heard…_'a lot' _of yelling…cursing, and…it sounded like I heard a fist fight…" His head tilted to the side and he gave me a look of concern. "Maka, did he hit you?"

"N-No!" I gasped with hands up for defense; laughing nervously again. "If there was any hitting at all, it was _'me'_ hitting _'him'_!" I then said; causing both of his brows to lift in surprise. My laughing died down and I stepped back more into the other room so the only thing he could see was my head. "Don't worry though…it was just something a friend of ours said. It made me mad and things got a little out of control…" He kept his gaze on me as if he wanted to know more, and suddenly I realized, that…even though he was a sweet and polite man…he could still have those moments when he was dark, and maybe a little creepy…Just like Soul could. "E-Everything's fine, Soul and I made up. We're good now. Don't worry, Wes…"

Just after I shut the door, my eyes were on the floor and I couldn't help but shiver. Wes…was creepy too. I never thought he would be, but he was. And it was really strange, awkward and nerve-racking to see him stare at me like that. "Just breathe…" I told myself as I walked back over to the shower and turned the hot water on. I looked over my shoulder at the mirror and watched myself only for a moment before looking at the water again. I slipped out of the robe, and stepped within the tub so I could pull the shower curtain closed.

As soon as the water pelted my skin, I let out another sigh and stuck my head under the downpour so I could get it wet too. It was always nice to jump in a shower in the morning after a night like the one before…Especially when I'd feel sore, like I was feeling right at that moment. "Angry sex…" I muttered as I glared at the tile wall. "Gotta love it…" Of course I was partly sarcastic…the only downside of it was that it hurt…sometimes. I think I ended up punching Soul in the face…

The door clicked open and I jumped out of my skin again. I stayed perfectly still as I listened to the door shut again and I heard the person then make their way over to the sink. I was sure it was Soul, since Wes was too polite to actually just walk in on me. Soul did it all the time…but why didn't I sense him coming in the first place? I always did…so why, all of a sudden, did I not…

"Soul?"

"What?"

I let out a sigh of relief as I set a hand on my chest. It was him, thank goodness…so I could continue on what I was doing. As I reached for the shampoo, I heard Soul mutter out my name in wonder, so I paused and stuck out my head from the end of the curtain so I could see him. "Oh, I was just making sure it was you…" I then said with a smile as he turned around; a toothbrush hanging out of his mouth. He lifted a brow at me almost immediately and I looked away in the corner of my eyes. "I…uh…for some reason wasn't able to sense you coming that time…"

He pulled the toothbrush out of his mouth and turned to spit in the sink. Then, setting it down on the counter, he turned back around and put his hands in his basketball shorts' pockets. "Strange…" He then said to me as I slipped back into the shower to keep washing off. "Do you think your losing you amazing powers?" He then asked; a ton of sarcasm in his voice. The muscle in my forehead pulsed and I yelled out his name in frustration, but he only laughed. "Relax; I'm sure your fine." I heard something fall on the floor. "Mind if I join you?"

"Get straight to the point why don't you…" I breathed as the curtain was moved to indicate his entry. I heard him let out another chuckle from right behind me and I looked over my shoulder to meet his crimson gaze. He was closer than I thought he was…although, he wasn't touching me…yet. "You came in here for the sole purpose of taking a shower too, huh?" I took his kiss on my neck as a yes, and rolled my eyes. I put some of the shampoo into my hand before setting the bottle down on the shelf next to us. "Don't you think your brother will find this a little…weird?"

"What's weird about it?"

"Nothing…" I told him as I reached up to lather the soap into my hair. "I just thought it would be awkward…you know… knowing my little brother was naked in a shower with his girlfriend…in the same building" I then said; causing him to laugh lightly as he reached up and replaced my hands so he could wash my hair for me.

"Knowing Wes…" Soul began as he pulled on my hair a little to get my head to fall back against his chest. "He's probably just reading and not even thinking about it." He then said to me. I groaned and turned around so I could wash the soap from my hair while he took the shampoo from the shelf for himself. As soon as I opened my eyes again, I saw his chest. And as soon as I saw his chest, I saw the scar: The same one that I had threatened to rip apart the night before.

I narrowed my eyes as he massaged the shampoo into his snow white hair. "I'm sorry for saying I was going to shove a knife in your chest." I told him quickly; causing him to open his eyes and look at me curiously. "I didn't mean it…" I then said to him with a small smile. He only rolled his eyes, pushed me back a few steps and turned to wash his hair out underneath the water. As soon as he had his back to me, my eyes were drawn to his left shoulder. Not only was there a small circular scar from when he had taken the bullet for me back during Medusa's attack…but now there was a bruise. "Where did you get that…?" I muttered; my hand reaching up to touch it. He flinched as soon as I made contact, and as I pulled my hand away, he looked over his shoulder.

"You did that, remember?" Soul groaned as if he was looking back to the moment. I made a face that told him I was confused and he stepped away from the downpour to shake his hair around with his hands. "Last night, since you were so pissed at me…you picked up the lamp and threw it down on my back." I gasped in shock and looked at the wall beside me in confusion. I didn't even remember that I did that to him! "Since it was metal and all it didn't break…it just bruised me." He shrugged it off after saying those words and I looked at his grin. "I'm all good though, nothing to worry about. I'm cool…I'll last."

"Maybe that's why the lamp was on the ground when I got up this morning…"

"That's exactly why…"

I sighed and hung my head as he stared at me with lazy eyes. "Ugh…I'm sorry about that…" I then said to him; causing a sigh of his own to pass his lips. I glanced up and saw him run a hand through his white hair and as soon as it came down, he closed the gap between us and nearly forced me into the wall. But you know what? I didn't care…the way he touched me when I was bare was different then when he'd touch me when I was in clothes. His hands felt lighter on my hips as if he didn't want to break me…as if I was something fragile. Sometimes, when we did this in the shower, I'd go numb…why? I don't know…the way he touched me as he kissed me sent goose bumps and shivers all around my body even though the water pouring down on us was so hot…

"Maka…" Soul breathed as soon as he pulled away to kiss my neck. I only hummed in response, and I could feel him grin against my skin. "The soap dropped…" I heard him mumble; causing my eyes to open quickly. And just as I did, I heard the bar of soap hit the tubs surface right next to our feet. Suddenly, I had this huge feeling that this was all some kind of plan of his to get more of me…. "Mind bending over and picking it up…?" My eye twitched…how did I know?

"MAKA-CHOP!"

* * *

"How the hell does a girl take out a book in a shower…"

I looked over my shoulder as I cooked up a small breakfast and saw Soul rubbing his head as he sat at the table with his brother. Wes had given him an odd look just as he said those previous words, but once I had slapped some eggs and bacon on two plates beside the stove, both white haired men were looking my way in hunger. "Here you go," I said as I set the plates down and slid them in each of their directions. Wes, of course, said his thanks, but Soul just went ahead and dug in, so I rolled my eyes and walked over to the front door to grab my jacket and put it on.

"Where are you going?"

Looking at Soul as he shoved a piece of bacon in his mouth, I smiled and opened the door. "Well…you didn't tell your brother that we could invite anyone we wanted for nothing, right?" I asked him as I stepped outside. I then peeked back inside and smiled a little more. "Well, I'm going to go invite all of our friends to the party." He opened his mouth and I held up a finger. "I get to invite anyone I want…and as much as I hate to say this, I'm inviting Black*Star too. Because for one thing…it just wouldn't be fare. Maybe, I'll have Tsubaki keep him on some kind of leash…" I narrowed my eyes and looked at the ground for a moment with the thought of the blue haired idiot being on a leash. I then let out a small, but evil giggle and looked back up at the two Evans in the room. "Ok? Bye-Bye~!"

"I love you!"

"Love you too, Soul!" I yelled as soon as the door shut. As I turned to walk down the steps I paused for a moment. He sounded a little desperate there…but oh well. I shook my head and kept walking towards the stairs. Then, as I made my way down, I thought about who to find first. Kid was probably at home since he didn't work on Saturdays. Liz and Patty had work though…and I was sure Tsubaki was home too since she had night shifts instead of day shifts. So I guess I was headed over to her place. "But Liz and Patty's work is on the way…I'll stop by and talk to them first…"

So that's exactly what I did. I walked down the street a little further until I found the Hair Salon the two new cosmetologists worked at. I opened the door and peeked inside; immediately getting bombarded by loud hip hop music and the smell of nail polish and hair products. It was a large building, so I couldn't see the sister's from where I was, so I walked inside and walked past the cashier with a quick hello, and made my way around a few pillars and fish tanks. I walked by some people getting their nails done in large message chairs and then finally came to the hair department. As soon as I was there, I saw Liz dancing from behind her client as she trimmed their hair. And as soon as I saw the client's hand rise to stop her from making a "mistake" I knew who it was. Kid…

I called out their names as I made my way up the ramp that led up to the middle of the circular room. The eldest of the Thompson sisters looked my way and smiled happily as soon as she got the chance. "Maka, hey!" She called back; setting her scissors down on a small roll up table beside her. She and I exchanged a hug and then she picked up a spray bottle to wet down Kid's hair. "What are you doing here? You need a trim?"

"No." I said as I waved at Kid's reflection. He smiled and waved back; saying something about my hair being symmetrical today. "I was actually here to invite you guys to a party tomorrow." I then said; causing Liz to look at me curiously; still squirting Kid's hair with the misty water. She mumbled something about wanting to know what kind of party as she then began to comb his hair out. "It's a formal." I told her; getting a sideways glance as a response.

"Oh~ you're throwing your own formal, Maka-San?"

"Well no," I answered Kid as he smiled at me through the mirror. He then put on a look of confusion and lifted a brow. "It's a party that Soul's brother put together." Liz paused in what she was doing and the both of them looked at me in surprise. "Oh right, you didn't even know!" I then said with a loud laugh—almost louder than the music in the background. "Soul's brother was rescued a few years ago, and he actually came to visit. He's throwing another dinner party in the mansion to let the world know that the two famous Evans brothers are still alive. Soul said he'd go along with it as long as he and I could invite anyone we wanted to."

"Sweet…I'll go." Liz said as she finally began trimming Kid's hair again. "But," She then said; holding up the scissors in my direction. "Only if Tod can come too." I smiled at her as Kid suddenly put on a look of depression.

"Of course!"

Liz smiled back at me and looked down to the Shinigami sitting in the chair; noticing his expression almost as fast as light could travel. "Hey…" She began as she leaned down to see his face. "What's wrong, Kid?"

"O-oh! Nothing!" He wailed out with a nervous smile. Then his eyes began to dart from side to side before he reached up to hold a strand of hair. "I-I think you may have…uh…cut it asymmetrically!" He then said to her; causing her to gasp and look closely; muttering out a curse to herself. Though, I wasn't too convinced…

_Poor, Poor, Love Struck, Death the Kid._

"RIGHT THIS WAY!"

All three of us glanced over to the right and watched a person with short wet brown hair make her way over to the chair beside Liz and Kid. She sat down with her eyes shut and waited for her hair dresser to arrive. And just as she sat down, Patty had made her way over with a large smile, ready to begin her trim. She took her gloves off and tossed them into a garbage and stood up straight to pick up a comb to she could brush out the woman's wet and newly shampooed hair. I was surprised she hadn't noticed me standing only a few feet away.

"…Patty,"

"YES!" Patty exclaimed as she looked over with a large smile; probably with no idea who had said her name. I reached up with a small wave as Liz went back to fixing Kid's "asymmetrical" hair, and the youngest of the sisters smiled a huge grin. "Maka! Hi there!" She yelled as she kept brushing the woman's hair. "What brings you here turtle dove!" I went to speak, but stopped when I had realized what she had just called me. I narrowed my eyes in confusion. Since when was she calling me that? And…did I even look like a Turtle Dove…?

"Uh…I was inviting you guys to a party tomorrow night."

"A party?" Patty asked me as she looked my way; picking up the scissors with her free hand. I nodded to her and she went back to trimming the woman's hair calmly. "Hmm, sounds fun." She then said as she looked at the woman's bangs through the mirror. I was amazed on how calm the young woman was being. But I was sure it was all because that a job like this one needed a little bit of relaxation and a lot of patience. But oddly enough…patience was something I could never imagine Patty having…especially relaxation…but, I guess, Patty is human too after all…

"You in, sis?"

"YES!"

As soon as Liz spoke, the calm Patty had turned back into the loud one and I laughed lightly before turning to face the eldest of the two of them. "Alright, you can explain everything to her later I guess…" I said to her before making my way towards the ramp. "Tomorrow, all girls are meeting at my apartment to get ready for it!" I then called as I looked over my shoulder. I saw them raise their hands over their heads as they worked and smiled back even if they couldn't see. "See you then!" I yelled out as I made my way back around the fish tanks and over to the front entrance. And when I finally left the building, I inhaled the fresh outside air and made my way to Tsubaki and Black*Star's place.

* * *

As soon as the door was opened, both of the people from behind it were on the ground apologizing to me for the night before. I wasn't surprised Tsubaki was doing it…but Black*Star? What the hell did Tsubaki tell him to make _'him'_ do it? He was apologizing…at my feet! "Uh…guys," I began as they both mumbled their apologies over and over again. "It's ok…really…" I knelt down and smiled at the both of them even though they couldn't see my face. I then reached over and touched their shoulders; causing them to look up. "It's ok, I forgive you…"

"Are you sure?" Tsubaki asked as Black*Star looked away in boredom. "Black*Star was very cruel and rude last night." She then said to me. "Are you sure you can forgive him so easily?"

I nodded. "Yes." I then said to her with a smile. "Soul and I are all good." My eyes opened again and I got back to my feet as Black*Star helped her up to her feet as well. "You don't need to worry about it ok? I'm going to just forget all about that night anyway..." I paused as I looked away, and then with a giggle I looked at her again. "Well other than the memories of the food!" I then said to her; causing her to smile back. "The food was great!"

"I'm glad you think so!"

"…Hey," Black*Star began; causing the both of us to look at him. For a moment I thought he was going to apologize again, but as soon as I saw the stupid look on his face I was already getting ready to take out the book. "Since you said you and Soul made up and all…" He then said; leaning in a little with a stupidly curious look on his face. "How did you?" He leaned in a little more; only making my target easier to hit. "Did you finally give him a blow—"

"MAKA-CHOP!"

As soon as the blue haired man hit the ground I hid away my book and stepped over him to walk into the apartment. Tsubaki only let out a sigh, knelt down to grab him by his basketball shirt and drag him inside so she could shut the door. Then, she made her way over to me with a small smile. "So, Maka-Chan," She began sweetly as I took a seat on a chair in their kitchen. "What brings you here anyway?"

"Remember me saying that Soul's brother came to visit?" I asked her; hoping that she'd remember me telling her the night before he arrived. And, just as I wanted, she nodded with another smile, so I continued. "Well, Wes is throwing another "Evans Family Dinner Party" in the mansion on Sunday." Tsubaki's mouth hung open as soon as I said that, but I kept going. "He wants the world to know about he and Soul being alive, and Soul agreed to go as long as we got to invite anyone we wanted, so I've come to invite, you and Black*Star…" I cringed as I looked at him in the corner of my eyes. "…As long as you keep him under control, we won't have him kicked out…"

"We'd love to come," Tsubaki told me with another sweet smile. "Meeting so many people that Soul's connected with…" She then started as she grabbed a tea cup from the counter to take a sip. "It would make me feel closer to him…friendship wise." She then laughed as I lifted a brow curiously. "Like…maybe meeting his brother and some of the people his family spoke with during their time…"

"Their Grandmother will be there." I told her as Black*Star over by the door began to get back up. That seemed to spark a lot of interest, since she had perked up a little. "Their Grandmother was in England around the time, and she's been there ever since." I then said as the blue haired man made his way over. He set his hand on the counter for a little support and then laid his chin on it to let out a groan. "She's going to be at the party…I heard Wes mumbling something about it when Soul and I got out of the show—uh—bedroom…bedroom."

I tried to cover up what I had said, but the both of them had given me that look that told me they caught it. "A-Anyway…I think I should get home then…" I smiled nervously as I began to back away from the counter and make my way over to the door. They both kept watching me though…and it almost seemed like they were thinking the same thing. Which was kind of weird since the both of them were nearly opposites. What was that saying...? Opposites think alike? Or was it something else? Great Minds…? No…that wasn't right. Black*Star's mind was too dull to be a great one…

"Eh…G-Goodnight guys…see you tomorrow!"

* * *

The sound of a phone ringing caused Soul and I both to look up from our dinner. Wes, as he set his fork down, seemed to blush lightly in embarrassment and reached down into his pocket. "I'm terribly sorry." He then muttered out; lifting his hand up to show that he had taken out a cell phone—a highly expensive looking one at that. "I've been raised better than that…" I smiled slightly as Soul went back to his eating while his brother looked at the caller ID. "Oh…" He seemed surprised but happy all at once. "If you will excuse me…it's my wife calling."

"HA?" Soul choked as his brother got up and left the building to speak with his so called "wife". I looked at him as soon as Wes left and lifted a brow in curiosity. "H-he's married?" He stuttered to himself as he set his head in his hand and his elbow on the table. "He never said anything about getting married!" I think I saw his eye twitch. "When the hell did he get time to do that? To who…?" His crimson eyes fell upon the turkey on his plate. "I guess it's been about five years since he came home…but who the hell…" He fell silent for a moment and I stared quietly. Then his eyes flashed with an idea and he sat up again quickly; causing me to jump in my seat. "NATALIE!"

"Who?"

"Natalie Pacalini." Soul told me with a small knowing smile. "She was our neighbor when Wes and I still lived in the mansion with Mother and Father." He then said to me; picking up his fork again. "She moved back to Italy a little after the tragedy, but she promised to come visit whenever it was possible. They were a "thing" back then, so I'm guessing she's the "lucky" gal…"

As soon as he fell silent, the door opened again and Wes had come inside with a closed cell phone. "Oh dear…" He then breathed quietly to himself as he walked back over to the table. As he sat down, he glanced up and saw the curiosity in both of our expressions so he smiled, sighed and picked up his fork. "The baby's giving her some attitude; she wants me home for comfort." He then said; causing Soul's jaw to drop and me to smile.

"Aw, you have a baby?" I asked him sweetly as the younger of the two gawked at the other. "How old is it? Boy or Girl?"

"It's a girl," Wes answered sweetly; ignoring the total shock coming from the pianist beside me. "She hasn't been born yet though, we're still waiting on another three months." He then told me; causing me to make another "Aw" sound. I couldn't help it…baby's were cute. And having children was a beautiful and very cute thing! "What's the matter, Soul" Wes suddenly asked; looking over to his younger brother. "You're going to be an uncle~"

Soul held up his right hand and then kept up one finger; an annoyed and frustrated expression on his face. "One: I had no idea you were rescued and home safely five years ago." He held up another finger. "Two: I wasn't invited to no damn wedding." He held up a third. "Three: Who the hell did you marry?" A Fourth. "And Four: You're already becoming a freakin' Dad! That's insane!"

Wes seemed to laugh lightly at Soul's frustration; causing the pianist to glare and set his hand down. "I'm not too sure myself why you were never told of my rescuing, little brother, but I assure you that I sent a letter as soon as I got home." He then said to him; crossing his arms to lean back in the chair. I looked between them both and caught sight of their brotherhood arguing bubbling up. Oh boy… "I tried to tell you about the wedding, but you took too long to reply, so _'Natalie'_ insisted that we just went ahead and did it. We waited a year and a half for a response, Soul." Said man went to speak, but Wes held up a hand to shut him up. "And what's wrong with children?" He then asked; causing Soul to lean back again and narrow his eyes. "When you were little you kept telling me that you were going to have children that were going to be way cooler than mine…" Soul blushed and I could see it clearly—even more so than I had ever seen it. "What happened to that dream of yours?"

"W-Wes—"

"Were you waiting on Maka to come to an agreement with you?"

As Soul's face turned bright red, he gave me one of the quickest sideways glances I had ever seen in my life. What was with the awkward dinner conversations lately…? "Oh, I'm sorry," Wes breathed at the look on both of our faces. Soul's flushed and mine slightly confused and bewildered. "Are you two not that far into your relationship?" He then asked; mostly to me since his brother was at the moment, unable to speak.

"Well…" I began; giving Soul a quick look. "We've been dating for almost five years now…" I then said to Wes as I looked his way again. "I'm sure we're pretty far into it…"

"I see…you just haven't talked about it…?"

Soul stood up abruptly and grabbed his dinner plate so he could take it over to the sink and soak in under the faucet for a minute. Then, after setting it down, he turned and began walking towards the bedroom. "Maka and I haven't talked about it." He then said to his brother as he opened the door. "We probably never will…" The door shut and my eyes narrowed quickly. What did he mean by that? He almost sounded upset about it…like he really wanted kids…I froze in my seat and kept my eyes on the bedroom door. Whoa…

Did Soul…actually want to have kids with me…?

"I'm sorry about all of this,"

I looked at Wes as he took his final bite of his food and I smiled sweetly. "Don't mind it." I then told him, standing up to walk over to his side of the table. "Go home and take care of your wife, ok?" I picked up his plate and then mine before making my way over to the kitchen sink. "Soul and I will be at the party tomorrow night, we'll see you then." I looked over my shoulder and saw him smile and nod back before getting up to walk into the room I had him sleep in. "Good Night!"

"Good Night,"

With an outtake of breath, I turned the faucet off and made my way over to the bedroom Soul and I slept in. I turned out the lights in the main room and slipped inside; only to see him lying in the bed on top of the blankets and staring at the ceiling. "So…" I began; causing him to look over as I shut the door behind me and made my way over. "I invited Liz, Patty and Kid…" I began as I crawled on the bed and over to him to cuddle. "Then I invited Tsubaki and Black*Star and I called up Kim and Jacqueline on the way home!" He glanced down to me and lifted a brow.

"Did you forget anyone?"

"No I don't think so…" I muttered as I looked down from his face and to the side of his chest. I got the symmetry trio and I got the two "ninjas" …Kim and Jacqueline weren't very close, but they were closer than others, so why not invite them? Who could I have forgotten…? "Oh!" I sat up quickly and grabbed my phone off of the nightstand so I could flip it open. "She's in the area…so why not?" I muttered as I looked through my contacts. I heard Soul ask who as he sat up and looked over my shoulder, but I set the phone to my ear before he saw the name of who I called. I waited about a half minute, until finally, they answered.

_"Hello?"_

"Hey, Mom! You busy tomorrow night?"


	5. The Thing

_Sorry for the wait, my Mom grounded me from the computer so i wasnt able to update yesturday._

_She finally gave me a break and let me update today. _

_Dont expect next week's update to be on time though...Sorry... :(_

_

* * *

_

_Destroying a Perfect Soul_

_Chapter 5: The "Thing"_

_"I don't think I'll ever be able to explain to you how I felt when Natalie said those words…"_

_"The tire marks on the pavement and the strain I could feel on his soul made it all the more true,"_

_"Soul was gone."_

* * *

Soul let out a groan and looked at me with tired eyes as I smiled up at him innocently. "You're doing what…?" He then asked as if annoyed with what I had told him. And…I'm sure he was. I was pretty much kicking him out of the living room for the day because of my plans. I was having all the girls over to get ready with me and we were going to get ready in the living room…so he kinda needed to either stay in the room or go somewhere else… "Hell no…I want to watch the game before we leave…" I'm sure he meant the basketball game since he and Black*Star watched one every Sunday…

"But where are we going to get ready, Soul?"

"In here…"

My eyes narrowed dangerously and I glared at him. "Soul," I then hissed; causing him to lean away from me a little in fear. "This room is small…" I then growled as I scooted closer to him just to make him scoot back again. "I want…" His eyes widened slightly. "…to get ready…In the living room!"

"F-Fine!" Soul gasped as he sat up in the bed to get away from me. The look on his face as he turned away to hide from embarrassment caused me to giggle and I sat up in the bed too so I could smile his way; mumbling out a "thanks" on the way. "Yeah, sure…whatever." He mumbled back as he glared at the wall next to the bed. "I need to go pick up that thing anyway…maybe I'll stop by Black*Star's and chill for awhile…"

"Thing?" I asked Soul curiously; causing him to look over to me again. I lifted a brow once he was facing me, and I then tilted my head to the side a little. "What…thing?"

"Something you shouldn't worry about."

Soul lied back down as soon as he spoke and he pulled the blanket over his head as if he was blocking away sound so he couldn't hear my response. But I'm sure he still could, since he flinched as soon as I leaned over and breathed out his name where his ear should have been. "What is this "thing" in which you speak of?" I then asked in a light whisper. He didn't budge nor make a sound, so I climbed on top of his form and made sure I put all of my weight down on him. "What is it…?" I asked again; ignoring his groans of discomfort. "Why is it a secret? Can't I know what it is…? Please?"

Soul seemed to mumble something from under the blanket, but I couldn't understand him. So, I tore the blanket out of his grasp and revealed his face; humming slightly in question to let him know I wanted him to repeat. He seemed to hesitate…but he repeated himself eventually, "It's not important." He told me; shutting his eyes. "It's almost noon…" He then muttered to himself. "I'm going to go back to sleep…wake up at five and leave to go pick it up and get ready with the guys…I might come back for some things…and I swear to god Maka…whatever you do to me in the future, you are not going to find out what the "thing" is until I feel like showing you…got it?"

"But I'm so curious now!" I whined with my bottom lip stuck out. He made no effort in responding to me; though he kept his eyes shut and let a light hum pass his closed lips—that was it. "Soul~" I cooed; shaking his body a little. "I want to know~!" He kept his mouth shut and his eyes firmly sealed closed...man…Soul would be the perfect guy to go to if you wanted someone to keep a secret for you…he never snapped. "Fine…" I breathed in defeat; slouching down just enough to set my chin on the side of his shoulder. I felt like the damn cat… "I'll just…go to sleep too until the girls get here…"

Before I shut my eyes again, I caught a quick glimpse of Soul smiling warmly.

* * *

"Ok! I brought all the hair supplies from the shop!" Liz exclaimed as soon as I had the door open wide enough for her to enter. She lifted a small box up from the ground and grinned. "I got all of my make-up too!" I tried to smile back through my astonishment as she and the other girls came inside to set up by the couch; leaving Kid and Black*Star alone at the doorstep.

"Yo~! Where's Soul?"

Glancing away from Kid's darkened expression, I gave Black*Star a casual look. "Oh, he's just taking a nap…he'll meet up with you guys in a little while." I smiled at him as he gave me a thumbs up, turned and then left. Though Kid didn't move at all. And I knew exactly why…

_Poor, Poor, Love Struck, Death the Kid…_

I lifted my hand up and set it on his shoulder calmly; causing him to glance up slowly, yet in surprise. "Kid, don't give up." I then told him with a smile. I know he glanced over to Liz as soon as I said that, so I moved over to get in the way. "I know, that right now, she's with Tod and she may seem happy…but, trust me…I know she thinks about you all the time. Just…don't loose hope, ok?"

"…Thank you, Maka."

"Anytime…" I said back to him with another smile. "Now, go…Black*Star's probably waiting for you," I turned him around and shoved him back outside where the sky began to darken. Wondering what I did all day? Slept…with Soul. That's it. Maybe ate…but mostly slept and read, while he stayed asleep. I honestly don't know how he can do it. Sleep for hours on end without waking up. It's crazy…Insane even…

A pillow hitting me in the back of the head snapped me back to reality and I spun around to face the attacker. Liz smirked as she lifted another pillow. "You coming over here or not?" She then asked me; shrugging her shoulders in the direction of a shopping bag on the counter. "We got that dress you saw a few months ago…you said you liked it right? Well…" She picked it up and tossed it over to me. "Happy unbirthday, Maka."

Peeking into the bag, I caught a glimpse of crimson red velvety fabric, and my eyes shot back up. "No way!" I then gasped as they all smiled at me. "You guys didn't have to get this for me…really." I set the bag down beside the couch and sat down so Liz could begin playing with my hair. "It was pretty expensive last time I checked…"

"The store was having a Red Sale, today." Tsubaki said as she combed out Kim's hair; Patty messing with her long black ponytail. "And sense that dress is red…and since we thought that maybe you'd like to wear it to the party…" She then told me; giving me a quick glance before going back to Kim's bright pink hair. "We bought it for you,"

"Thanks guys,"

"No problem!"

As Liz messed with my hair and mumbled to herself on what to do, my eyes fell upon my old bedroom door. Wes had left to go be with his Wife and was probably getting ready for the party right now, too. I wondered if I was going to be able to meet her. Natalie Pacalini was her name…right? I'm sure that's what Soul had said to me. She was Italian so I was sure she'd have an accent…right? Italians usually had an accent, especially if they lived in Italy for awhile. She was pregnant too…so would that mean she'd be a little moody? Or would she not even be there?

_Pregnancy...Children…_

_"Are you two not that far into your relationship?"_

My eyes narrowed as Wes's words rang on and on through my head. My hand twitched and I set my hand on my stomach; tilting my head slightly to the side. Now that I actually had my mind on the subject…to have Children was always something I wanted to do. Have children with Soul, though…? I never thought about that…not even once. Was that…a bad thing?

"Mind if you stop swaying your head to the side?" Liz mumbled to me as her hand pushed my head up straight again. My eyes went back to normal for only a moment before going back to being narrow. Everything made me wonder about what went through Soul's head, nowadays. He was definitely keeping something from me, since he wouldn't tell me what that damn "thing" was, and why he was going to go get it. What on earth could it be? He usually kept secrets from me, but those secrets were the big things, like stuff that happened in his childhood, when his parents were first murdered. I'm still left in the dark in that subject. But lately, I couldn't help but feel that maybe he actually had kept some recent things secret from me. The "thing" and the fact that he sounded upset when mentioning that he and I hadn't talked about kids yet…And yet…I couldn't help but think about what Wes had said about Soul having this dream to have cool kids one day. Hadn't Soul told me once that he was afraid to make a family?

_-"If you're still wondering…that's one of the reasons why I don't smile much." He said quietly as my eyes softened; the mother's quiet shushing heard as she rocked the crying baby. "…It makes me scared to grow up and make a family…kids…they think of me as a monster…if I ever had kids, they'd be terrified of me." I tried my best not to hug him…he looked so sad…so _'broken'. _"Besides…I don't think there's a single woman out there that wouldn't be able to hide the fact that they were afraid of my smile…I've been called creepy…dark…and I've been called a demon." _

_That was it…I nudged him with my elbow and he looked at me as I gave him a smile. "I like your smile." I then told him; causing his eyes to widen slightly. Then, with a shrug and looking back at my book, I turned the page. "I think your smile is very exotic and individual…and it makes you—well—_'you'_." As he looked away to spot the baby again, I glanced over to him in the corner of my eyes; still smiling even though he couldn't see me. The baby was looking at him with curious eyes now…as if they were interested in what he really was. "I think…that when that day finally comes—when you go from one of the cool guys to an actual Daddy—your kids will actually _'like' _your teeth…I mean come on…" Soul looked at me again just as my smile widened._

_"They'll be _'your' _kids, won't they?"- _-

Did that convince him to actually think about having children...?

"Liz…" I breathed quietly trying not to move my head too much. I heard her hum in response and I saw that everyone else had looked over as well. "Your better at solving mysteries in a relationship," I then said; causing her to stop playing with my hair and look down on me. "I want to figure out what's going on in Soul's head…he…has to go get a "thing" today before the party and…yesterday his brother mentioned children and Soul acted a little strange. He sounded upset when he told Wes that we hadn't talked about it yet. But he told me once, that making a family scared him…"

Liz seemed to laugh before getting back to my hair. "That's simple." She then said; taking a curling iron to my sandy blond hair. "I have no idea what the "thing" is, but it definitely sounds like he wants kids now,"

"AW~!" Patty cooed as she played with Tsubaki's long locks. "Soul-Kun wants to be a daddy~?"

"Sounds like it," Liz corrected before spraying something in my new curls. "You said he got upset when he said that, right?" She then asked; taking the curler to another part of my head. "Then my guess at solving this mystery is that he wants kids, but he thinks that you don't." I shot a quick glance over to our bedroom, but only for a second, since Liz had pushed my head back forward. "But, usually marriage comes before that, so expect a proposal before he even gets near a confession for the want of children."

_"H-he's married? He never said anything about getting married!"_

My eyes widened as Jacqueline made her way over to fix my bangs. "Is Soul…even capable of asking me such a life changing question…?" I then mumbled out as Liz tugged on a bit of my hair from the back. Jacqueline seemed to answer for Liz since she was right in front of me.

"If Soul wants, kids…then he'll probably ask eventually…"

"I agree with her," Liz said before spraying a little more of whatever was in that odd looking bottle into my hair. Then, she paused for a second and squealed. "Oh~ I think it's so cute that Soul actually wants to be a dad~!"

"Shush!" I scolded; reaching up to slap her hand lightly. "Soul's in the other room," I then said; setting both my hands back in my lap. I took in a deep breath and looked down as Jacqueline began to take out a thing of make-up. "Besides…we're not even sure if he does. It's just an assumption." She held up the colors to me and I looked at each one. I normally didn't wear make-up, but maybe a light touch up would be ok. "Something that will go with the dress…" I lifted my hand and pointed to the red colored eye shadow. "That with a little bit of black. Don't make it too dark please."

"ok."

As I shut my eyes so Jacqueline could apply the eye shadow, the bedroom door creaked open and Soul stepped out wearing some casual clothing and of course another one of his headbands. He glanced over to us and as the brown haired woman in front of me pulled away, I opened my eyes and looked at him. "Oh, hey there, sleeping beauty." I said to him; causing him to wince slightly. "Out to go get that "thing" of yours?" I then asked him as he made his way over to the door.

"Yeah."

"What is it Soul!" All the girls yelled at the same time as soon as he had the door open. He looked over quickly with a surprised jump and stared at all of us for a moment. "What's the "thing" you're going to go get?" Patty boomed from over by the smaller couch as she sat on the top of it; looking over her shoulder at him with a wide smile. He narrowed his eyes at her and began to walk again. "Soul-Kun~! What is it, what is it!"

"That…is literally, none of your business."

Then the door shut, and we all watched and waited. We were all making too much of a fuss over nothing. It was probably just a suit that he had ordered or something. Or maybe it was a new set of cuff links for his old suit—the one I was trying to get him to wear again since it was the most famous one out of them all; according to Wes and a few other sources. You know, the pinstriped one with the red dress shirt…that still fit him since he hadn't grown much since junior year. He was pretty much tallest he could get by then...

I looked over to the clock in the kitchen and noticed the time. Soul had woken up a little later than he had planned so instead of it being 5:00 like he wanted, it was 6:30. "Guys!" I gasped to get their attention. "The party starts at eight!" I then said to them loudly; causing a few of them to gasp. ", And I know how long it takes for all of us to get ready! Hurry!"

* * *

"See you there, Kid."

All of our eyes snapped over to the front door as Soul entered the building. Immediately we were analyzing if he had anything in his hands, but neither of us saw anything. His hands were empty. I watched him as I brushed Patty's hair and as soon as he entered the bedroom to finish getting ready we all erupted in whispers. "Ok, if he wasn't holding it, the "thing" must be something small enough to fit in his pocket." I said quietly so Soul wouldn't overhear the conversation.

"Or, Kid could be holding it for him." Kim said as she braided Jacqueline's long brown hair. We all nodded in agreement and I looked over to the bedroom door; ironing the bottom of Patty's hair so it would curl outwards above her shoulders. "But…what if he does have it in his pocket…" Kim then mumbled; looking over to me in the corner of her eyes. "Then what?"

My eyes narrowed and I looked forward again; my long curls dangling over my shoulders. "Ok…" I then said to them as Liz snuck a few sprits of glitter into my locks. "It's settled…if he comes out of that door in the same outfit he was wearing when he went in…" I narrowed my eyes even more and gave them all a sly grin. "We attack him and search his pockets."

"OK!"

As soon as the room fell silent again, we began doing our make-up and hair like we had been for the past half hour. I couldn't believe how much glitter Liz was spraying in my hair…it made me feel like some kind of fairy with too much fairy dust to handle. But I was sure my hair looked nice the way it was curled. My hair may still be in pigtails nowadays, but when they were out, my hair reached way passed my shoulders. The curls weren't crazy tight and frizzy like an afro…that would be just…bleh…My hair was long, glossy and the curls were loose and bouncy…oh and lets not forget Liz's glitter spray…

About one minute after the silence came, we heard the bedroom door click open again; causing us all to run over to it and line up as if we were waiting for a big star to walk down the red carpet. The door opened all the way and Soul slipped out in his crimson red dress shirt, but the same pants he was wearing before. He paused and eyed each of us carefully; probably soaking in the uncomfortable silence. Finally after a few seconds of just staring at us, he pulled the door closed and fixed his shirt's right cuff.

"Can I help you?"

"What is it, Soul?" I asked as soon as he spoke to us. Soul seemed to flinch at my suddenness and look at me directly in the eyes. Then, he rolled his own eyes and kept walking; mumbling something about being thirsty. So I narrowed my eyes and frowned. "Get him." I then whispered; causing him to freeze in place and look over his shoulder at us.

"…You can't be serio—"

Not even letting him finish what he was saying, we all tackled him to the floor—except for Tsubaki of course—and after I jumped onto his legs to search his pockets, Kim and Jacqueline held down his arms and Liz and Patty held down his feet so he wouldn't kick me. As he yelled for me to get off, I stuck my hands in his two front pockets first, but found nothing. So, I then set my hands on both of his back pockets to feel if it was there instead…but there was nothing at all. So, with a disappointed groan, I leaned over—still on top of him—and whispered in his ear.

"You hid it didn't you?"

"Of course I did…I'm not stupid."

With another groan, I slapped Soul's head, sat back up in the sitting position on the back of his legs, and got off of him so I could walk back into the living room. "When am I going to see it?" I then asked as the girls let go of his limbs so he could stand himself. "I'm really annoyed that I don't get to see what this "thing" is…"

"Well, I'm not going to show you what it is until I feel like it." Soul said to me as he made his way into the kitchen; making sure the others came to the living room as well. As Liz finished curling the one long strand of hair coming from Tsubaki's pony tail, Soul filled a glass full of ice water and made his way over to the couch wear I sat; finishing the ends of Patty's hair. "Hey…I'm sure it will be worth the wait…just give it a little time, alright?" With a small Soul like smile, he kissed me on the cheek and turned to go back to the bedroom. "When I come out, I will be ready to go…I expect you all to be ready too. Party is in twenty minutes."

With that, the door was shut and we were all left alone in the room again. Finishing Patty's hair, I let out a sigh and sprayed a little hair spray in it. Then, I stood up straight and turned around; only to get the shopping bag Liz had earlier shoved in my face. "You're ready Maka…go put the dress on~" She said to me as she swung the bag back and forth. I smirked with glossy lips and reached up to take it from her, and then I made my way over to the bathroom so I could put it on.

God, I hoped it would fit me…


	6. Family

_Destroying a Perfect Soul_

_Chapter 6: Family_

_"I don't think I'll ever be able to explain to you how I felt when Natalie said those words…"_

_"The tire marks on the pavement and the strain I could feel on his soul made it all the more true,"_

_"Soul was gone."_

* * *

I kissed Soul lightly on the cheek; wondering if it would bring him back to earth since he had stopped to stare once we had arrived at his old home. Once I pulled away to look at his face, I could see that he was still staring with the same expression as before. He looked nervous, anticipated, anxious, and a little bit relieved and delighted, all at the same time. I'm sure it was only because he hadn't been there since our Junior year five years ago. And before then he hadn't been home in at least two years. It was where he grew up…it was where he played with his older brother and watched his Mother walk through the halls as if nothing was going to happen to their wonderful lives…

"May I?"

I hardly noticed that his eyes had darted over to the left side of us and over to the side of the front yard. I glanced over to where he was looking and spotted two gravestones near a lone tree; causing my eyes to widen slightly. I knew exactly who they belonged to, so I turned to face him again and smiled lightly. "Go ahead," I then told him; receiving a nod in response. As he took his time to walk over to the stones, I held both my hands in front of me and watched him. He knelt down in front of the one on the right and probably began to speak to his mother, no doubt.

"What a beautiful dress, Maka." A voice said to me from the right. I turned around to face the person who had spoken to me and saw none other than Death the Kid. I smiled at him in response as he looked me up and down. Of course you knew the dress was crimson red, but what you didn't know was how well it hugged my body and fell to the ground. It left my back bare and was held up in the front by a black neck belt while more black fabric covered the front side of my waist. It truly knocked Soul out of the park when he first saw it…I didn't think it would affect anyone else…

"Thank you, Kid." I said to him with a smile as I turned to face him; reaching up with black gloved hands to toss a curl back over my shoulder. "Soul seemed to think so too." He smiled back at me as soon as I said that, and once he had done it, his eyes had fallen over my shoulder and over to Soul. I looked at the musician as well and my eyes narrowed. "His Mother and Father's gravestones…I'm sure it's a must to see them every time he comes here."

"Probably,"

Sighing quietly, I turned enough so I could begin walking over to Soul and his parents' graves. Kid probably made his way up the stone path with the others so they could get inside for the party. I was sure Soul and I were going to be right behind them. I didn't even say anything to him as I approached because I could hear him mumbling to himself. So once I was close enough I knelt down in a position that wouldn't get the dress dirty and I looked at the stone we were both in front of.

_'Roselin Marie Evans,_

_A wonderful Wife and an even better Mother'_

There was much more written on the stone, but I couldn't bear look at it anymore without feeling upset. I glanced over to the left and looked at Soul's face as he kept his eyes closed and his lips moving in a silent prayer. I knew he looked fine, but I could feel the anguish in his soul. So I reached up and set a hand on his shoulder; causing his eyes to open and a small smile to twitch into existence. Then, without a word, he got to his feet, helped me up and turned to lead me back over to the cobblestone.

"No words to your Dad?"

"Nah…" Soul said back to me as we made our way up the cobblestone that went up the small hill his old home stood upon. I lifted a brow as we then began making our way up the front steps. "My Father and I never actually "clicked" …we never got along." He stopped in front of the door and stared at it for a little bit; the party lights shining through the windows on each side of it. "…Let's just say I didn't love him as much as I loved my Mother. Simple as that…"

"But…he was still your father…"

"I know."

Soul didn't say anything else after that. He only reached forward, took hold of the door and opened it; classical music rushing into our ears as soon as the light crashed against our skin. "This is it…" I heard him breath as he took my arm again to lead me inside. Once we entered and shut the door, I felt as if maybe people would consume him with attention and questions. But no one seemed to notice our entrance. "They'll notice me after Wes gets boring."

I couldn't help but laugh at him as his smart ass attitude as we began making our way over to the crowd. I was surprised that the only people who actually noticed him were people we already knew, like Black*Star for instance—who completely took me aback since he was actually behaving himself. 'Something tells me Soul threatened him…' I thought with narrow eyes as the ninja couple spoke to a star struck Death the Kid.

"Maka~!" A voice called over the music and talking. At first I thought it was my Papa and I was about ready to scream in frustration and hide Soul away, but as soon as I heard the voice again, I knew it wasn't him. "Maka Darling~!"

"Mama~!" I called as I spun around and let go of Soul's arm. He froze in place and kept his gaze forward as my sandy blond and green eyed mother made her way over to us. Ever since I called for her to come to the party he had been secretly nervous about meeting her for the first time. I could feel it in his soul…He was _'really'_ nervous. "Hi, Mom! How have you been?" I asked; giving my Mom a hug once she was close enough.

As soon as she pulled away and looked at me with matching eyes, she smiled a big grin. "I've been wonderful." She then told me happily; Soul still frozen behind me. "Oh Maka. You would love Morocco." I lifted a brow but kept my smile on as she went on and on about her trip to Russia. It really sounded like she had a good time. "You and that boyfriend of yours should go see it one day together, it's such a nice city…I'm sure you'd both have a great—oh!" She gasped and began looking around. "Where is he anyway? I want to meet him…"

"He's right behind me." I said to her sweetly; causing her to look over my shoulder at the white haired musician. I looked over my shoulder as well and smiled before turning around fully. I then grabbed his arms and spun him around; causing him to look away quickly in the corner of his eyes. "Mom, this is Soul." I said to her as I stood beside him with his right arm in my hands. "And Soul, this is my Mom, Kami."

Soul looked her way with nervous crimson eyes and held out his shaking left hand to her. "It's nice to—no—it's a _'pleasure'_ to meet you…" He seemed to laugh nervously as my Mom shook hands with him. "I-Im sure you know that I am…Uh…Soul E-Evans…the p-pianist—"

"I knew you were familiar!" Mom gasped as she pointed at his nervous self. "You're Soul Evans! The little pianist boy from the family!" As she yelled that to him and turned to face me, I heard him mumble something about him saying the same exact thing. "Maka, darling I knew that you two were cute back then, but now? Omigosh, that's just the cutest thing ever, the two of you actually dating now! You wouldn't even dance with him back—"

"Yeah yeah…I get it Mom." I said with a laugh as Soul began looking around in a small panic. I felt him began to cower away, but I held his arm tight and kept on smiling. "Oh, and just to let you know on our background and stuff," I then started; this time causing him to look at _'me'_ with the panicked look. "Yes, we have had sex, we've been dating for almost five years, we met in junior year, I helped repair his soul and we kissed for the first time on the Christmas before Senior year began. Anything else you'd like to know?"

My Mom kept a smile on her face as Soul gaped at me in shock. Then she looked up to the ceiling in the corner of her now narrowed eyes and put on a look of deep thought. Then, she snapped her fingers and pointed my way. "Does he know the reason of how you're able to see souls?" She then asked me; receiving a nod from me in return. "Does he know that you have a Grigori soul, and what it is?" I went to nod again, but caught myself and shook my head.

"Grigori…?" Soul breathed to her in question; eyeing me only for a second. "What's a…Grigori soul?" We both looked at him and he shrugged stupidly. "I had no idea there was more than one type of soul!"

Mom and I laughed and she led the both of us over to a table and a few chairs to sit down. As soon as we were in our seats there were glasses of water filled for the three of us by a waitress Soul couldn't find familiar. "Well, a Grigori soul is a rare type that she and I both have." My Mom said to him as soon as he was done trying to find out who the waitress was. "It's said to be the rarest…the perfect soul. In the past, Witches and Demons set out to kill all the people with Grigori souls, and they all succeeded. That's why they're so rare."

"And that just makes me nervous."

We both looked at Soul for a moment and noticed his expression turn a little grim, but as soon as I set my hand on his, it went away long enough for my mom to continue. "Don't worry. The Witches and Demons disappeared remember?" She asked him with a light smile. "Anyway, the stories say that a Grigori soul is in the shape of a normal soul, but it has wings." Soul lifted a brow and looked at me silently; probably wishing that this could all be proven with the special ability I had. "It was said that the people with the Grigori souls were angels who had been sent to earth to protect something. And my guess is that something Maka was sent to protect was you, Soul."

"Wait, wait, wait." Soul began as he held up one of his hands; causing my Mom and I to look at him curiously. "You said that Maka's soul is…"perfect", right?" He then asked her with a quotation of his fingers; causing her to nod in response. "Does that mean…its indestructible, because you just said that Witches and Demons killed these "angels" a long time ago…what the hell happened when you and Maka got them…"

My Mom smiled to him and after taking a drink of her water she set the glass down and set her hands in her lap. "Well, a Grigori soul is perfect, but its not indestructible." She then said to him; keeping the smile on. "The Witches were able to destroy them by stealing away what it was they were supposed to protect. That's the only way to destroy such a perfect soul. To make them feel as if they have failed in their mission of being a guardian. Oh, and well, they weren't _'all'_ killed…Maka and I have ancestors that survived. So we inherited the special soul. That's why the both of us have such powers. The ability to see a soul, and the ability to communicate within the mind and soul with our lovers…you do that right?"

I nodded to her. "Yeah, he can't usually hear me, but I can hear his thoughts sometimes." I then said to her as I gave his hand a light squeeze. "When we're far apart, I can see things that represent how he feels. And when he's near, I can just feel in my own soul what he's feeling. So if he's nervous, I can tell even when he doesn't show it. Same goes for him in that department. He can feel what I feel and he sees things that represent my emotion too. But he's too oblivious to notice most of them…"

"Uncool, Maka…"

As my Mother and I giggled, he looked away and tapped the table with a finger; obviously nervous again. So with another look my Mom's way, I grinned. "It was nice talking to you, Mom." I then said to her. "Soul probably has a lot of people to meet up with, and I want to meet his Grandmother, so…" I got to my feet and took hold of his arm again; causing him to groan lightly. "We'll be going then. Oh, and don't worry, I didn't invite Papa. So you're free to socialize without the fear of running into him."

"Thank Shinigami…"

"Bye, Mom." I said to her; pulling Soul away from the table and back over to the crowd. "Interesting stuff huh?" I then asked him as we strolled passed a few people who had spotted and smiled brightly in his direction. Saying something back to one of the party guests, I saw him nod to me in response. Then as soon as we were both facing the same way again, an old grumpy looking woman came before us. "OH! H-Hello there…"

"Granny," Soul breathed with a smile as he bent over a little to hug the old woman; causing her grumpy expression to turn into a more relaxed and relived one. "How are you?" I heard Soul ask her as he pulled away and smiled lightly. "I haven't seen you in years."

Grandmother Evans smiled back at him and set a wrinkled hand on his arm. "Oh my little shark pup~ Look how much you've grown." She then said to him with a British accent; closing her old pale eyes happily in his direction. I giggled at the nickname, but neither of them seemed to notice. "Oh, granny's bones are getting so weak; it's hard to walk…"

"Would you like me to help you to a seat, Granny?"

"That would be wonderful…"

I followed the both of them over to another one of the tables and watched as Soul helped his Grandmother take a seat in the nearest chair. "Ah…you look so much like your Mother~" She mumbled to him as soon as she opened her eyes again as he knelt down beside her chair. I made my way over beside them and pulled a chair for the both of us. He sat in one and I sat in the other. As soon as I was settled, I looked over to him and saw that his Grandmother's comment had caused him to blush lightly with a small smile. "I don't care what your Grandfather said…Roselin was such a wonderful woman. Your father sure knew how to pick…"

"Glad you agree with me, Granny." Soul said to her as she let out a light wheeze of a laugh. "I'm sure you like who Wes choose to be with, huh?" He then asked her; receiving a weak nod in return. He smiled at her in return and grabbed the bottom of my chair so he could pull it a little closer; causing me to yelp in surprise. "Would you like to meet the one _'I'_ love?" He then asked her as soon as he had his hand on mine; which to my own surprise was still relaxed in my lap.

"Oh~ Is this her?" Grandmother Evans asked in awe as soon as she saw me with her dull blue eyes. It was quite obvious that the crimson eyes came from Roselin's side of the family. "My darling, you are beautiful…" She said to me as she leaned forward a little to take my hands in hers. I gave Soul a sideways glance and saw him smirk at me as if he was getting back at me for introducing him to my mother while he was so nervous. "Pup, you really picked out a gorgeous one…"

"Thank You…"

"Granny, she looks a little like you did when you were younger," Soul said to her as she looked away from me and over to him. But she wasn't the only one looking at him, since I had eyed him carefully as soon as he spoke to her. He glanced my way and shrugged. "Well besides the blue eyes, she wore pigtails when she was our age, and her hair was the same sandy color. I saw it in photos and now that I think about it, the both of you could have been twins just with different eye colors back then,"

That was pretty interesting I guess, but as soon as I looked back at her, she had spoken again; asking me what my name was. "Oh, I'm Maka Albarn." I told her with a polite smile; reaching forward to take her bony but wrinkly hand in mine. We both shook and as soon as she asked me if I truly loved him, I felt a little offended… "Well…yes I do…" I told her as soon as our hands came apart. "He's really important to me…and he may not be perfect but he always asks if I'm ok when I get quiet, he gives me so much attention even when I try to ignore him…he may not say it much, but when he actually _'does'_ tell me I'm beautiful…it's usually during moments when I look like I just got out of bed…and…when I cry he usually doesn't even say anything. I like that in a person. When they don't even say a word…they just…hold you…"

Grandmother Evans grinned. "I see he really treats you good…"

As Soul blushed lightly and looked away to be cool, I nodded to her and leaned in a little. "I know it sounds odd but, I feel much better when he tells me to shut up when I'm whining about something. Most men would try and agree but he just tells me to zip it...sometimes he sneaks up from behind and picks me up to carry me somewhere…I like it when he does that too…" Every time I said something to her, she smiled a little more and nodded while Soul slowly began to sink in his seat. Maybe I was saying…too much? "He protects me when I'm scared, and he lets me sleep in his clothes sometimes too. We always tease each other which I love—well—depending on my mood I guess…" I let out a light laugh and smiled a little more. "Sometimes we'd shove each other around even when it would start out with just a simple accidental bump, and even though he doesn't keep them all, he keeps most of my secrets like a good boyfriend should…"

"Black*Star beats them out of me…you have no idea…"

Ignoring what Soul said, I went on. "Sometimes we have staring contests when we eat at the table, and he never looks away...He always does after _'I'_ do." I told her as the both of us leaned in like gossiping teenagers. "He always ends up hugging me when I'm mad and I blow off steam just screaming into his chest. He also usually kisses me when the moment is as unromantic as it possibly can be. He wakes me up at 12:00 in the morning to tell me happy birthday, and even though I'm pissed at him for doing it, I think it's awfully sweet at the same time. He bails out of all his plans when I get sick just so he can take care of me and even though he hates them, he watches my favorite movies with me every Thursday night! Whenever I scream or even say "ouch" he's by my side in an instant; even if he has to knock down a door on the way. When he knows I'm bored and run out of books to read, he skips out on playing basketball with his friends just to hang out with me and watch T.V. He always threatens people when they hurt me…and even though I don't like it, he usually ends up getting in fights for my sake! I know he loves me and I'm positive he knows I love him…but I'm sure that what he _'doesn't'_ know is that I do more than he can understand…"

"I love you more than you can understand, too…"

Grandmother Evans and I both looked at Soul at the same time as soon as he spoke. Something made my body shiver. Of course…I knew exactly how much he loved me. All of his love poured into me when we'd make love, and whenever he looked at me I could feel it radiating off his skin. I mean…he wanted to have kids with me, right? Or was Liz wrong? Was _'I'_ wrong about that? It seemed like the only thing I _'couldn't'_ feel within his soul. What did he want to do for the rest of our lives? What did he want our relationship to turn into?

…Maybe I really didn't understand how much he loved me…

I reached up and set my fingers on my lips; falling completely silent as the two of them began talking with each other again. "You alright, Maka?" My eyes snapped up from the floor and I saw the both of them looking my way curiously. Of course he'd ask me if I was ok…I went quiet, and just like I told his grandmother, he fell curious in why I had done it.

"Yeah, I'm fine."

As Soul and I smiled at each other lightly, his Grandmother lifted her bony hands and tossed them in a shooing manner. "Go on go on," She then said with a smile. "Go and speak with the other guests…I don't want an old lady like me wasting your time tonight," Soul and I both stood up and he bent over to kiss her on the cheek before pulling me away and back to the crowd. We meet with two people so far…

Only two hundred more to go…


	7. Scomparire

_Destroying a Perfect Soul_

_Chapter 7: Scomparire_

_"I don't think I'll ever be able to explain to you how I felt when Natalie said those words…"_

_"The tire marks on the pavement and the strain I could feel on his soul made it all the more true,"_

_"Soul was gone."_

* * *

Somewhere in the crowd, Soul had spotted someone and had begun to drag me in that direction. It was another person he needed to speak with no doubt. Already we had spoken to half of the guests there. He introduced me and told them how he had been since the tragedy, and that just repeated itself with old family friends and very distant relatives. Some were even complete strangers who came to the parties for the music and entertainment, but Soul didn't seem to mind. They knew who he was at least. And they liked the family's music…

"Poco Soul~!" A voice called over the music. Once again I had to take a moment to giggle at the nickname that my boyfriend was given. But then, after a moment, I paused and realized I had no idea what it meant… Was that Italian...or Spanish? "Poco Soul, over here~!" As soon as the voice was heard again, I spotted a hand being swung in the air a little bit in the distance over the heads of the party guests.

"I'm coming!" Soul shouted over the music and conversation as he dragged me passed a few people. Soon, a woman in a long blue and white dress appeared and she set her gloved hand down and on her enlarged stomach; a huge smile spread across her face. Next to her Wes stood with a drink in his hand as he spoke to a few guests, and even though that woman had been yelling, he didn't even look to see us approaching. "Wow…for being pregnant…she looks great," Soul whispered mostly to himself, as we approached the woman. I now knew exactly who she was.

_'Natalie Pacalini…She was our neighbor when Wes and I still lived in the mansion with Mother and Father…She moved back to Italy a little after the tragedy, but she promised to come visit whenever it was possible. They were a "thing" back then, so I'm guessing she's the "lucky" gal…'_

"Ciao!" Natalie said loudly as she reached over and took both of Soul's hands in hers. Then she leaned over and kissed his cheek, then pulled away to kiss the other cheek. Then, as she pulled away to look at him with her ice blue eyes she put both her hands on them to cup his face. "Just look at you. You grew so much!" Her thick Italian accent rang through my ears as I watched her long naturally curled hair fall over her shoulders. "How has life been for you, bambino?"

Soul seemed to stare at her for a little while before finally shrugging. "Eh…after the tragedy, life was hell." He then told her as she dropped her hands onto his shoulders and put on a sad expression. "But, after I met Maka," He lifted his right hand and wound it around my waist so he could pull me over closer and immediately her icy blue eyes were on me. "Everything was just fine…uh…how do you say it? Magnifico…?"

"Sì." Natalie confirmed with a cheerful smile and closed eyes. As soon as they were open again, she looked at me and took a step forward to take my hands. "Maka?" She then asked to confirm if she said my name right. I nodded to her and she smiled. "Ah, Wes told me about you~ you are very lovely." She then said to me; leaning forward to kiss me on both cheeks. "Ciao, I am Natalie, Poco Soul's new sister in law!" She winked at me and then giggled before looking over to the musician beside me. "Did Wes tell you that you are going to be Zio?"

Soul blinked with a vaguely confused expression. But then, he glanced down to her stomach and then back up; holding up a hand to point with narrow eyes. "If you mean "uncle" …then yes." He then said to her; causing her to giggle and slip out a "whoops" for saying something he couldn't understand exactly. "So…uh…how was Italy? Where'd you stay this time?"

"In Padova!" Natalie answered with excitement. She then looked around and giggled. "I mean Padua. A city in Italy's Veneto region." She then said; mostly to me that time so I would know what she meant. Then she looked at me with a little bit of a smaller smile. "My family owns a home in three Italian cities. Two in Veneto region and one in Lazio region. The two in Veneto are Padua and Venezia—oh Venice! Scusi…Oh, and the third is in Roma."

"You mean, Rome?"

"Sì."

Both Soul and I lightly laughed as she giggled nervously and as soon as Wes pulled away from his conversation to join ours, we all stopped. "So, Poco Soul," Natalie began with the same exact smile as she always seemed to wear. "We have decided on a name for our Figlia!" As she shut her eyes to laugh lightly again, the both of us gave her a confused look. Then, to confirm things, Wes lifted his left hand and pointed to her belly indicating that she had been talking about their daughter. "We are going to name her Adnana."

"That's very exotic!" I gasped as soon as I heard the name; causing all of them to look at me. "I love it!"

"Oh! Is this true!" Natalie gasped in response with a smile. I took that as a "really" and nodded excitedly; causing her to squeal in utter happiness. I think I was going to like this woman. Natalie really seemed like a good person and she was always happy from what I could see. I don't know what it was that she said, but she squealed something too hard to understand, so we all began to crack up. Well I guess just me and her since the boy's weren't as carefree as we were at the moment. I think I ended up smacking Soul in the chest from the amusement; but as soon as he let out a quick gasp and set his hand on my shoulder for support, I looked his way quickly.

"Soul, you ok?" I asked him quickly as he held up his other hand to press it against his chest in a couple different places. That hadn't ever happened before…I know I've hit him a few times there, but never had he gasped and lost balance before. "Did…I hurt you?"

As Natalie and Wes watched in concern, Soul stood up straight and took in a deep breath before letting it out. "No…at least not badly." He then said to me; grabbing a drink off of a tray as it was carried by. He took a swig of its contents and let out another breath. "Guess you just hit "the spot" or something and my scar decided that it would be ok to hurt like hell…" He growled something to himself as Natalie made an interesting face.

"Oh~ I remember that. Was when your friend hurt you, ne?"

I shook my head at her as Soul and his brother took a drink of their beverages at the same time. "No, Soul said it was some kind of incident between him and his brother." I told her; causing both of the brothers to freeze and look at each other. "They were moving the family scythe and it fell on him…right Soul?" I looked at him as he pulled the glass away from his lips. Then, he smiled nervously and looked away as soon as I heard his brother begin to giggle "What? Was that not how it happened?"

"My goodness," Wes breathed within his laugh; shaking his head lightly as Natalie and I looked at him and away from Soul. "It was a childhood friend of his that did that to him." He then said to me as he finally looked up from the floor. My mouth fell open and I immediately looked at Soul; who at the moment was looking away to avoid the awkwardness. "It wasn't the scythe at all…I mean…it was involved…but it was his friend's family weapon that cut him open."

Slightly frustrated and angry, I grabbed Soul by his ear and yanked him down to my level. "You lied to me…about _'that'_?" I then growled in his ear as he winced; causing him to squeak out a small "might of" and pull away to rub his sore ear. "Why did you have to lie about _'that'_?"

"I thought you would have thought of me differently knowing I had been playing with a friend down the street from my home with huge weapons and getting myself cut open because I had slipped in a puddle of mud and didn't have time to react to anything around me."

We all looked at him as he glared over Natalie's head. What he had said not only surprised me, but it confused me. Why would he play with a child with those huge things anyway? I knew the scythe was big and dangerous, but what about the weapon the other kid had? Was that at all big? It must have been if it was the reason Soul had such a huge scar across his chest. But why the hell would he even play with such a dangerous thing at such a young age? What an idiot—Whoa hold on a moment! I was beginning to think badly against the man I loved! I couldn't do that! That was something he didn't want me to do, and that was also the reason why he lied to me. So I _'wouldn't'_ begin to think differently! This all had to stop! Right now!

"Natalie…are you staring at my pocket?" Soul breathed in question as soon as I came back to reality. I looked at him for a moment before looking over to the Italian woman, who at the moment had her icy blue eyes glued to his right pocket. "Stop staring. At my pocket." Soul then said to her as she began to smile.

"That's so sweet~"

"Natalie…don't you dare."

"When are you going to ask her?"

Soul's eyebrow twitched as soon as his new sister in law looked up with another one of her huge smiles. "I…" He then began as I looked his way in puzzlement. What the hell was she talking about? "I might not even ask her tonight, so don't get your hopes up ok?" He said to her as she held up both hands and held them close to her heart; stars dancing in her eyes. "I'm probably not even going to take it out anytime soon…please don't make a big deal about it Natalie. I don't even have proper permission."

"Ask her right now, Ragazzo!"

"No!"

Soul grabbed my arm and began pulling me away from the pregnant Italian woman, and as soon as we were near the tables again, I could see a small smile on her face. She was talking about the "thing" …I just knew it. "Geez…" I heard Soul muttered as he sat down at a table and pressed his forehead down on its surface. With pursed lips, I narrowed my eyes and leaned on the table to tap his head with my knuckles. Then, when he looked up, I narrowed my eyes even more.

"Why does _'she'_ get to know what the "thing" is?"

The table shook as his head fell back onto the table and he let out a loud groan of frustration before looking up again. "Look…I didn't tell her what it was, she just…found out." He then told me as I sat down as well. I lifted a brow as he set his head in the palm of his hand; his crimson eyes scanning the crowd of people. "Wes and I used to call her "X-Ray" when we were younger. She had the knack of being able to tell what was in your pocket without actually touching or feeling for something. She just…_'knew'_…"

"Like some kind of…ability?" I asked him; receiving a nod in response. "Do you think it could be related to my ability to see souls?"

Soul shrugged. "No idea…" He then said to me lazily. "All I know is that sometimes I really hate it and sometimes I really love it." He looked at me and gave me another shrug. "And I guess it really helps her in her crime scene investigation academy thing…"

"She wants to be a part of the CSI?"

"Yeah."

"Sounds neat."

"Yeah…pretty cool…" He breathed as he let out a soft sigh; lying his chin down on the table. Then, with a sigh, he rolled his head to the side as I looked back out into the crowd to watch Natalie and Wes speak to a bunch of people at once near a microphone on a platform. But as soon as I looked out there, Soul shouted loudly and got to his feet as fast as it took light to travel. I looked to see who had scared him and saw a young woman that looked a lot like Natalie sitting in a chair beside the one he was sitting in. Her chin rested on the top her hands as she rested her elbows on the table; her eyes narrow as a sly grin was spread across her face.

"Ciao, Anima~"

"Who's this?" I asked Soul as soon as more thick Italian language and accent passed through my ears. "A relative of Natalie's?" Soul nodded and went to speak, but the young woman stood up and smiled in my direction.

"I'm Natasha." She said to me in her accent that for some reason I was very jealous of. "I'm Natalie's younger sister. I speak much more English than her, so there's nothing to worry about if you were expecting me to blurt out random Italian words." She looked at Soul and then me before holding out her hand to me. "Soul and I were engaged once~ I think it's just a pleasure to meet the one he loves nowadays, since it is no longer me."

"We weren't in love, Natasha." Soul snapped as I subconsciously shook her hand. "We were five years old." Natasha and I both snapped him a look: me angry with how he had never told me about being engaged with someone and her pissed with how he had just butted in on the conversation like that. He backed up with his hands in the air and smiled nervously. "Ok…Ok…I'm going over here now…" He then said to us; sitting down at another table a few feet away. Then, Natasha looked at me and smiled sweetly.

"Ti odio così tanto"

And with that, she had walked away from me and met up with a tall tanned Italian looking man to go dance with; leaving me completely unaware of what she had said to me. "What…" I breathed as Soul just watched me with a lazy expression. "What did that even mean…?" I then asked; looking at him finally. He only shrugged and got to his feet as he mumbled something about it being some kind of Italian "goodbye"…but what did he know. He didn't speak Italian. He told me once that he knew many European languages but Italian was one of the hardest for him, so he didn't finish learning it. So he had no idea what it was exactly. He just guessed that it was a way of saying "see ya"…

As Soul took my hand again so he could lead me to another place in the mansion, I looked back over to Natasha and saw her wave and mouth something to me with a smile. My eyes narrowed and I whispered the same thing to myself since I had read her lips. "Putanna…?" I breathed; causing Soul to look at me. "What does _'that'_ mean…?"

"No Idea…Now come on—"

"MAKA-CHOP!"

"OW! Maka, what the hell!"

As soon as the book was gone, I crossed my arms and gave him a small glare. "Why didn't you ever tell me you got engaged?" I then asked him with a slight growl. He looked up at me and gave me a stupid look once he had the chance; something that asked me if I was being stupid. "Ok, ok, you were a little kid…but still—"

"We were playing house." Soul breathed out with a slight growl of his own as he stood up straight and set his hands in his pockets. "I had no idea that she actually meant what was going on…" He then said with a silent sigh to himself; looking over my shoulder lazily. Then, as soon as he had done it, his eyes had widened and he lifted both hands in protest. "Whoa, whoa," Two hands were set on my shoulders and I turned my head to see that it was his sister in law, Natalie. "Natalie, what are you going…?"

Natalie began to push me lightly. "You must ask her~" She then sang in my ear as her left hand snatched him up by the arm and dragged him with the both of us. She took us over to one of the main balconies, and shoved us through the large open archway. "Ask her right now, or I am not letting both of you leave and come back within mansion." As Soul gave her a protesting look, she only smiled and took the curtained doorways by the handles. "Buona Fortuna…" the door shut and the both of us heard something click, like she had locked it.

As I stared at Natalie through the glass part of the door, Soul growled in frustration and turned around to walk over to the marble handrail and lean on it. "So not cool…" I heard him then breathe out as I too spun around to make my way over to him. I leaned on the railing beside him and eyed the grassy land and trees that spread out in front of us. To the left, I could barely make out the front driveway and street; cars going by every once in awhile in the distance. And to the right, I could see a hill with a single tree on top; a bench visible just on the other side of it. That was probably where Wes had gone to look for Soul but had been kidnapped instead…

"So…" I began; looking Soul's way as he had his head in his folded arms. Soul looked at me in the corner of his eyes and kept his clear lazy posture as I lifted a brow with a small smirk. "What does Natalie want you to ask me…?" I asked him as I leaned to my left so I could bump his arm lightly. "Do I finally get to see the "thing"…?"

Soul's eyes narrowed as they looked forward again. "It's…a difficult thing to ask…" He then said to me; his words muffled out from having his mouth somewhere behind his folded arms. "Trust me…" My eyes narrowed and I leaned on my right elbow so my left hand could run through his hair; causing him to shut his eyes to enjoy the moment.

"Maybe…you shouldn't ask then…and just tell her you did…"

Soul shook his head and lifted his head away from his arms even though my hand was still caught in his snow white locks. "It's not that easy…" He then said to me; eyeing the moon that had been partially blocked by some of the trees before us. Then, his fingers curling around the railing, he lifted his right hand and reached into his pocket. "I…It's a…well…" During his search in retrieving the "thing" in his pocket, he paused and seemed to blush lightly in the light coming from both the moon and the lights on the walls around us. "I don't…e-exactly feel like…getting on my knee for this…so h-here," He pulled it out quickly as my hand fell from his head and I glanced down to what he had held out to me. His left hand pried the top of the box open and my eyes had fallen upon a simple silver diamond ring; causing my heart to practically stop mid-beat.

"Will you marry me?"

I knew Soul was nervous, and now I understood why he didn't want to ask me that night. I loved him…yes. But…I don't think I was ready for this…Or was I? I gulped down the lump in my throat as he silently and patiently waited for my answer…and eventually my focus on the ring began to blur. If I told him yes, then we'd get married and spend the rest of our lives together, have kids, get great jobs, and die peacefully and happily. But…the wedding would get in the way of college…while on the other hand, if I refused his offer, I _'could'_ get into college…but…Soul and I would be…awkward. Things could happen, we'd get in more arguments and our relationship could be over then and there…

I gulped a second time, and looked up. "S-Soul…?" I then said with a nervous and quivering voice. His crimson eyes met my forest and for a moment I saw fear in them. He was afraid what my answer was going to be… "Soul…c-can I go to the restroom…?" His hand and the ring lowered and his eyes softened as I set my own hand over my lips. "I feel…nauseous…I'll think about it in there…and decide…so can I…"

"Y-yeah…go ahead…"

"Thank you," I whispered; leaning his way to kiss him lightly on the lips; tasting the salty tears that had begun to fall from my eyes without my permission. As I kissed him, I reached into his hand and grabbed the ring's box so I could hold it. When I pulled away, I looked him in the eyes and gave him a pathetic little smile. "No matter what I come up with, just remember that I love you, ok?" He gave me a hesitant nod, and I turned around to walk over to the doorway that led back inside. My right hand on my lips once again, I used the other to knock on the glass; causing Natalie to open it. "Excuse me…" I said quickly as I brushed past her and began making my way to the nearest restroom. She had followed me though, asking if he had asked me, and as I answered yes, I caught Liz's attention from over by the microphone while she stood nearby her date, Tod.

"Maka?" I heard her call over the music as I entered the bathroom. As soon as I was inside, I made my way over to a sink and leaned on the counter to stare at the box in my hand. "Maka, hey what's wrong?" I heard Liz call out again as she, her sister and Tsubaki walked into the bathroom as well; Natalie not far behind and standing near the doorway as they made their way over to me. "Did something happen?" the footsteps came closer and soon all three girls were looming over me and looking over my shoulder. Then, they all gasped and slapped hands over their mouths. "Is that what I think it is?" Liz's voice was slightly muffled out from behind her hand.

"If you're thinking an engagement ring…" I began as I opened the box to look at the ring. "Then…you're right."

Natalie let out a happy squeal as all three women behind me were breathing out "Aw"s from the apparent "cuteness"… "Well, why are you crying then…?" Liz asked me after snapping back to her senses; causing me to look up and at her through the mirror. She set a hand on my shoulder and leaned in with a smile. "You _'do'_ want to marry him…right?"

I shut my eyes and turned around to face them in person instead of their reflections. "Last year, I tried to get into college…what happened?" I then asked them; causing them to look at each other and then me in confusion. "It was Black*Star's birthday. We went on Vacation to Asia to see what he wanted to see. I missed out on getting interviewed by the headmasters, and they passed me by." My eyes narrowed. "What happened when I tried to get into another one earlier this year?" They kept looking at me with puzzled expressions. "I got the Flu and missed _'that'_ meeting, so my paperwork was passed aside and I was told to look into another school…" My eyes narrowed even more and tears fell down my cheeks again. "I'm trying again in a few weeks…I don't want a wedding getting in the way—"

"Maka!" Liz shouted to shut me up; an annoyed look in her expression. "You do realize that your able to plan _'when' _the wedding will be, right?" She then asked me as she set her hands in her pockets. Both Tsubaki and Patty nodded to agree with her as I watched with wide and tearful eyes. "You could always get married _'after' _you get into college…maybe when things settle down. You don't have to get married the second he asks you…you can wait as long as you want and it won't get in the way as long as you plan the damn thing right?"

Tsubaki took a step forward and smiled at me as I looked down on the ring. "Marriage can wait as long as it needs to, Maka." She said to me; taking my hands in her's as I held the box tight. "You don't have to rush into it…" She then said as I looked up into her indigo eyes. "If you truly wish for this to happen, then go back out there and tell him that you'll marry him. Tell him that the wedding should be after you get settled into college—"

"And make sure you get to make _'all'_ of the arrangements and plans!" Patty said happily; causing us all to look at her. "It should be totally fun~"

I smiled. "You guys…" I then said; causing all eyes to be on me again. "Why does it seem that you're the ones always convincing me on what to do when it comes to that bonehead…" they all giggled as I stood up straight and opened the box all the way. "Alright, I'll go let him know…" I smiled up at them as the ring slipped onto my finger and as I made my way over to the door, I looked over my shoulder. "I have no idea where I'd be without you guys…" Liz and then smiled as she gave me a thumbs up, and as soon as I was about to leave again, I looked at the pregnant woman waiting patiently nearby. "Thanks Natalie…in a way, you helped…" She giggled and motioned in a way to shoo me.

"Now, now, go and tell Poco Soul your answer~"

Pretty much getting kicked out of the bathroom, I let out a sigh and quickly took a deep breath of determination; making my way back over to the only balcony on the first floor. I shuffled through the crowd and came over to the closed doors, took the handles and opened them to walk outside. "Soul," I began as I shut them; my back in his direction. "I've decided," I turned around and smiled as sweetly as possible. "Yes, I will—" I paused in midsentence as I noticed that I hadn't been talking to anyone. The balcony was empty, Soul wasn't outside. "Must have gone inside…" I mumbled to myself as I walked up to the rails and looked at the ground that was only a foot drop from the balcony floor. I then glanced over to my left and saw a van pulling out of the parking lot and making its way down to the street. Must have been someone who left the party early…

I turned around and made my way back over to the doors so I could go inside; messing with the ring on my finger on the way. As soon as I was inside, all the women from within the bathroom were giving me curious expressions from near the crowd and I merely shrugged. "No idea where he went," I then said to them as they all made their way over. "He might of gotten nervous and gone inside when I left…let's look around," they all nodded in agreement and we all began looking through the crowd. We scattered to get more of the area searched, and I made my way over to the men's restroom; dragging Kid along with me, sense I had spotted him in the crowd talking to a pair of wealthy twins. "Can you please go in here and look for Soul?"

"Have you lost him?" Kid asked me before taking a swig of his drink. I nodded to him as soon as he asked, and with a nod in return he turned and went inside the men's restroom. I waited for at least a minute before he came back out and took another drink of his champagne. "No, he's not in the restroom…I looked through the stalls and even called out his name. Though, he did not respond…" He tried to be as polite as he could while giving me the bad news…typical Kid…

"Thanks," I said to him as I turned around and tried my best not to trip over the long dress I wore. I then made my way back over to the crowd and brushed past a few people; heading for the only other head of white in the room I could see. "Wes," I called over the music and talking as I came closer to the grown man. Said man looked my way as Natalie stepped up to him at the same time; both of us blurting out the same question at the same time. "Do you know where your brother is?" Wes looked at me, and then he looked at his Wife; probably noticing that we were both just as curious as the other. "He asked me to marry him, and then ran off…"

"Did he?" Wes asked as if he was intrigued. Natalie and I both nodded and he smiled greatly. "That's wonderful news, Maka," He then said to me; shutting his crimson eyes along with his smile. "But, frankly, my news isn't so wonderful," He gave us both a shrug as his eyes opened again. "I havnt seen him anywhere…" All three of us fell silent and looked down to the floor as the people around us kept on with their conversations. Then, with a snap of his fingers, Wes perked up a little. "Oh, let me try the mic," He then said; turning to walk over to the platform the mic stood on. Natalie and I followed him up there as he then tapped the mic and smiled to the crowd. "Hello, everyone. I'm just looking for my little brother, Soul." His eyes scanned the crowd as everyone fell silent to watch him. "Soul, are you in here?"

Silence…

Nervously I made my way over to the mic as well and politely took it from Wes so I could speak too. "Soul…?" I called out lightly; my voice quivering from some unknown fear. "If you're trying to avoid me because you didn't know what I was going to think of…" I then began as my eyes scanned for any sign that he was listening or on his way over. "Yes…I'll marry you...so please…come out here…" People all over the room "Aw"'d the situation like my friends had, but I kept my search strong. No head of white was in sight…my boyfriend—no, my fiancé—wasn't anywhere to be seen. The only thing I spotted was a hand being lifted into the air, and the person it belonged to was Kim, who had been standing right next to her best friend Jacqueline. "Kim…?"

Her hand fell and she shrugged her head over in the direction of the balcony doors. "If it helps any," She then began before looking back into my eyes. "I saw the both of you go outside, but I only saw you come back in…" My eyes widened as she crossed her arms and gave me a worried look. "A few minutes later, you came back and went outside…he was gone then right?" I nodded to her and some people began whispering things; Wes beside me stiffening in fear. "So that means he never came inside, Maka…"

"And…he's gone…" I breathed to myself before looking over my shoulder and over to the balcony. I heard Wes say something to Natalie and with a nod, she began making her way over to the doors. "N-Natalie, what are you…?" I breathed as I turned to follow her and her husband walk outside and into the night. I watched her make her way over to the railing and look over to her right and over to the hill, where apparently, Soul used to always sit when he was troubled. I looked as well, but saw that he wasn't there, so when I looked back down onto the Italian woman, I saw that she was examining the ground below. Then, her eyes widened.

"There!"

Wes and I looked at her as she pointed to the ground below, and as soon as she had, the eldest of the Evans brothers had leaned down and set a hand under her foot so she could climb up onto the railing and awkwardly shift her pregnant body so she could land on the other side and in the dirt. As she lifted her dress, she kept her ice blue eyes on the ground and examined its features. "These marks…they look as if someone fell down here…" She breathed to herself before looking in the direction of the large round shaped driveway. Then, she began making her way in that direction; her eyes firmly on the ground to inspect more.

"What is she doing…?"

Wes hopped over the railing and held out a hand to help me over as well. And as soon as I was on the ground he politely pushed me aside so I wouldn't wreck up the marks on the ground. "She's a Crime Scene investigator in training…" He then told me as we watched Natalie stop near the pavement driveway that circled the pond in front of the mansion. My eyes narrowed as she turned around and made her way back over slowly. I had almost forgotten that feature of hers. "What have you found, dear…?"

Natalie shook her head sadly as she made her way over and looked at the markings in the dirt. "I…I found out these marking's belong to Poco Soul…" She then said to us; causing me to gasp and my eyes to widen. She lifted her hand and revealed a torn piece of cloth, and Wes had snatched it up to examine it. I looked as well, and noticed that it was a torn piece from his suit that he had worn to the party. "Here, I am guessing that he had been pulled over the edge…" Natalie began as she pointed to the marks she had revealed to be where someone had "fallen" earlier. "Then, the marks go on...as if he'd been dragged by someone…" We followed her as she walked the line of the dirt all the way over to the driveway. "Dragging stops in dirt here, but then there is tire marks on ground there," Something suddenly tugged on my very being as she pointed to the two thick black marks on the driveway and turned around to frown at the both of us. "I…I am sorry…But Poco Soul…I believe he has been taken…"

Suddenly, the image of the van speeding out of the driveway and down to the main road flashed passed my memory. "No…" I breathed as my whole body began to shake. There was doubting it, at all…That tugging at my heart wasn't just me being worried, it was Soul crying out for help…"This can't be happening…"

"I am truly sorry, Maka…" Natalie said to me as I looked at the ground with tearful eyes. "H-He's gone…"

I don't think I'll ever be able to explain to you how I felt when Natalie said those words…The tire marks on the pavement and the strain I could feel on his soul made it all the more true… Soul was gone…

The night didn't even last long enough to make it to dinner before it all went to hell…

* * *

Don't know Natalie Talk? ...Here ya go...

**Scomparire **- Disappear

**Poco Soul** – Little Soul

**Ciao **- Hello

**Bambino** - Child

**Magnifico** - Magnificent

**Sì** – Yes

**Zio **– Uncle

**Scusi** – Sorry

**Figlia** – Daughter

**Ragazzo** – Boy

**Anima** – Soul (literally means "soul" but it is the nickname Natasha gave him when they first met)

**Ti odio cos****ì tanto** – I hate you so much

**Putanna** – Whore (i think..)

**Buona Fortuna **– Good Luck


	8. Grieve

_Destroying a Perfect Soul_

_Chapter 8: Grieve_

_"I saw a vision of Soul this morning..."_

_"And he...He looked like he wanted to kill me..."_

* * *

The large door at the end of Shinigami hall opened and my Papa, Spirit, entered the large office we all called the "Death Room". Shuffling through some papers, he made his way towards the principle of Shibusen and passed under the many guillotines that lined up the path to the main part of the room. He went up the small set of steps, looked up and smiled to Shinigami-Sama. "Hello, sir, I've got those papers you wanted to look at…" He then said as he held up the papers within their files. The large cloaked man let out a happy noise and reached over to take them with his large white hands, and as soon as he had them, Papa had finally noticed me. "Sh-Shinigami-Sama…you do realize that m-my daughter is…"

"Oh, Maka-Chan~?" Shinigami-Sama asked as he flipped through the pages as well. Then, he as well looked my way with a saddened expression. "Oh, yes…she's been lying there for quite awhile…" He then said to Spirit as they watched me watch them with half closed eyes. Upon entering the room, I was on the right side of the platform Shinigami-Sama's chair was on. I was lying down, my sweatshirt's hood over my head and I had my hands laid out in front of me as I just tiredly stared at them. "She hasn't told me what's wrong…and she was crying when she first arrived…you can see that she's practically lying down in her own tears…"

Worried, my Papa made his way over to me and knelt down beside me; setting a hand on my left shoulder since my right was on the ground. "Maka? What happened…?" I heard him ask me as he then began to rub my arm in an attempt of comforting me. "Maka darling…are you alright?" I didn't feel like answering him…I just kept my tired eyes facing forward and watched Shinigami-Sama go through his papers quietly. "Did…Did Soul hurt you?" His name caused my eyes to widen. "'Cause if he did, Papa will go kick his ass—" He paused; noticing that tears had begun to poor down my cheeks and I had then begun to sob to myself. "M-Maka!"

"That's right…" Shinigami-Sama mumbled to himself silently as he watched the mess from over by his chair. "I mentioned Soul earlier, and she broke down just like that…" He set the papers down silently and got up from the chair to make his way over. Then he shrunk down in a kneeling position and set a large gloved hand on my head. "Maka, what has Soul done to you?" He then asked me as I cried nearly uncontrollably.

"He—He…asked me…to marry him!" I shouted between sobs; causing both of them to retract a little from shock. They both looked at each other and then back to me; mentioning something about it being a good thing…My Papa saying it in slight question and Shinigami-Sama saying proudly. "Let me finish!" I yelped; slapping Papa's hand away from my shoulder so I could sit up and wipe my soaked cheeks and eyes off. "I…I got a little…nervous…and…and went to the bathroom to think about…it." I then began; trying to calm my tears. "A-and when I went back to h-him…he…he…he was gone! Kidnapped! By someone that we don't even know! It's…a mystery…I just…I…"

"What…was your answer going to be—"

"I was going to say "yes", you idiot!" I cried in my Papa's direction as I fell into his arms to soak up his suit with my tears. For once, my Papa was calm while I cried, and he wrapped his arms around me to begin rubbing my back and stroking my hair with the other hand. "I-I got a little nervous and left him…f-for five minutes, and h-he got himself kidnapped!" I yelled between sobs and hiccups; Shinigami-Sama silently watching as Papa tried to comfort me. Then, as I cried, the Principal let out a cough in a way of clearing his throat, and Papa looked over his shoulder.

"I…I am terribly sorry to interrupt," Shinigami-Sama mumbled out as I kept crying within Papa's hold. "But, Spirit-Kun, can you go get Rachel-Chan from Kiddo-Kun's classroom?" He then asked him; setting down the files beside him on a file cabinet that had appeared out of nowhere. "And, also, bring Kiddo-Kun along…I want to speak with the both of them…"

"Y-Yes sir…"

Papa made sure to lie me back down on the ground where I had been before and stood to leave. Then, as he made his way to the guillotine hall, Shinigami-Sama set a hand on my head again and narrowed the holes in his mask that were supposed to be his eyes. "I'm terribly sorry, Maka-Chan…" He then said to me as I kept my eyes forward on a random cross that surrounded his chair's platform. Sadly, I then let my eyes drop to the floor as I lied sideways, and he stood tall again to make his way back over to his seat. And just as he sat down, the door at the end of the hall opened again.

"What is it that you need, Father?"

I didn't even budge when I heard Kid's voice and the clatter of his fancy dress shoes that he always wore. Next to him I could hear a soft pitter patter of a young girl probably in the High School stage, while my Papa lazily dragged his feet behind them. "I need you and Rachel-Chan~" Shinigami-Sama sang as both the teacher and student were finally in my view. It didn't seem like they noticed me yet… "Rachel-Chan…I noticed that your grades in Biology have gone down greatly…I'd like you to find yourself a tutor." The skinny teenager beside Kid with short brown hair took a step back and mumbled out something about working hard, but Shinigami-Sama only shook his head. "You've been doing poorly on your tests…and it is in my understanding that you have a report on a certain animal, fish, or reptile coming soon…right?" The girl known as Rachel nodded, and the Principal nodded back to her and pointed in my direction. "That there is Maka Albarn. She's a former student of Shibusen and I'd like to say that she was one of our top students…If Maka-Chan doesn't mind, I'd like her to be your tutor…She will help you with your report."

"O-ok…" Rachel stuttered; eyeing me with nervous brown eyes. "Is…she ok?" She then asked quietly as she watched my nearly lifeless eyes travel up from the floor and over to them. Kid finally looked at me and let out a small gasp before glancing away in anguish. They all knew what happened…Natalie had to tell everyone there at the party… "She's…crying…"

Shinigami-Sama looked away from me and let out a small sigh. "Her fiancé has been kidnapped." He then told the teenage girl; causing her to gasp in response and looked at him. As she did that, the Principal looked at his son. "Kiddo-Kun…Can you please escort Maka-Chan to the main entrance…or maybe even home…She's not even allowed to be here without a visitor's pass…she's lucky I let her stay this long…"

"Yes Father," Kid said with a bow of his head. He then made his way over to me and brushed my Papa away as if he was some kind of vulture feeding on the dead, and knelt down to set a hand on my shoulder. "Maka-San…common, I'll take you home…" He then said to me as I tried to sit up with lots of effort. I heard Shinigami-Sama telling Rachel where the apartment was and when it was ok to go for tutoring as Kid and I stumbled away from the room. We both made our way down the Guillotine hall and out into the regular school hallway to make our way towards the main doors. I could feel Kid's soul shaking beside me…I wasn't the only one upset about what had happened the night before.

As we made our way down the hall, a door in the distance opened and I immediately knew what door it was. It was the one that led to the gym…Just as I was about to think about being in that large room again like I was back in school, someone walked out and held the door open so a student dressed as a basket ball player could run out and get a drink from the nearest fountain. The person standing at the door though, was who had caught my eye…It was Black*Star! Was this that new job of his he was gloating about before? …A P.E. Teacher?

It definitely fit him...

While the student gulped down the many gallons of water he was drinking, Black*Star finally opened his eyes as he leaned on the door, and immediately, he spotted us. "Oh! H-Hey!" He greeted as Kid and I paused near the door way; the sound of bouncing basketballs and squeaking sneakers flooding out from within the gym. He seemed to be giving us a smile…but I could see how fake it really was…

_"He probably won't stop unless something big happens…Like something bigger than him all together_."

I looked away from the blue haired idiot and stared out into the gym. "Maka…" I heard Black*Star say to me; a hand being set on my shoulder. I flinched on impact, but I didn't jump away. That would be cruel… "How are you doing…?" He then asked. I looked at him in the corner of my eyes and saw an expressionless, yet, painful look on his face. "You holding up alright?"

What kind of question was that?

My eyes narrowed slightly and I looked at his chest. Then taking a deep breath, I shut my eyes, concentrated, and opened them again. Black*Star's soul was normally bright and shiny; his ego radiating off of it like one of the sun's beams. But this time….now that I looked at it, his soul was dull and gloomy…lost and confused. I didn't just loose the man I loved…but he also lost his brother…his best friend…

"I should ask you the same thing."

Black*Star seemed to gasp quietly to himself as he pulled his hand away from my shoulder, and for a moment, before the pain returned to his face, he let a small smile twitch into existence. "O-Oh…well…I'm fine…" He stuttered out as the student ran back inside the gym to play with his fellow classmates. "Really…" Finally the pain returned to his face and he glanced down to the ground as Kid watched us silently from the side; Rachel finally catching up and making her way towards the classroom on her own. "H-Hey…if you wanna spend some time with Tsubaki, she…well…she doesn't work till after hours…so…" His green eyes found themselves inside. "I…gotta go…some of these kids need to learn how to dribble the ball correctly…"

As Black*Star slowly made his way back into the gym to teach the P.E class, Kid set his hand on my back to lead me down the hall a little more. He probably knew I wasn't in the mood to move on my own at the moment. Something about seeing that man in such a state really changed how I looked at him. A person with that big of an ego could get broken too, huh? Never thought about it…never knew it was possible…especially with Black*Star…

"Please, get some rest Maka-San…"

I stepped out of the school entrance and turned slightly to see Kid smile towards me lightly. "Good day, Kid…" I breathed out quietly to him with a small pathetic wave before turning around. I heard the large school doors shut as soon as I reached the end of the Courtyard, but instead of continuing down the steps, I looked over my shoulder. Before me, the place seemed younger, while I remembered what had happened there when Black*Star and Soul became friends again…I could see it…all of us standing there in the middle saying our goodbyes to Kid as he and the sisters walked home together…

_-"The girls and I will be going then, good day"_

_"Ok Bye!"_

_"Hey! Don't walk away without addressing the great me first-OW!"_

_"Black*Star..."_

_I glanced up from where I was staring and saw that Kid and the Thompson Sisters were gone, leaving me alone in the courtyard with Tsubaki and Black*Star. The blue haired boy was rubbing the top of his head while sitting down as Tsubaki looked my way with a smile."Maka," She said; getting my full attention. "Do you think we could have that tea today?" She then asked me soon after. I smiled and nodded to her. I was defiantly up for some tea after that long day._

_Black*Star gasped._

_"B-But what will the great me do?"_

_"I'm up for a game of Basketball if you are?"_

_All of us looked at the Shibusen entrance and saw Soul lazily making his way over; his hands shoved deep into his pockets. I lifted a brow. He could play basketball? "Soul?" Black*Star yelped as he rose to his feet with a wide and bright smile. "Does this mean we're friends again?" He then yelled in curiosity._

_"Since when were we _'not' _friends?" Soul lazily asked as he stopped near me. He looked at the blue haired boy and shrugged. "Just because I stopped talking to you, doesn't mean I stopped being your friend." He sighed and shut his eyes; shaking his head. "You know...you could have spoken to me at anytime." Black*Star tilted his head to the side as Soul opened his eyes again. "You just assumed that I wouldn't talk to you at all." Black*Star huffed and looked away and Tsubaki let out a small laugh. I could even feel myself lightly laughing too. "Alright then," Soul then said as he brought his hand out of his pocket to run through his hair. "I'll need to get some better clothes. Come on Maka."_

_Hearing my name, my eyes snapped open and I looked at him. "Actually Soul," I grabbed the inside of his elbow as he began walking away, and he looked at me from over his shoulder; his crimson eyes somehow curious. "I'm going over to Tsubaki and Black*Star's place for tea." I then said. I pointed at the god-wanna-be with my head. "That's why Black*Star was curious on what he was going to do today...he didn't want to sit around and have tea with us girls..."_

_Soul looked at me with his crimson eyes a little while longer, before shutting them; his crooked grin now spreading across his face. "Alright then" He opened his eyes again and looked at Black*Star. "I'll meet you at the Basketball court and..." Trailing off, he looked at me again. Crap...I think I was blushing! I didn't even realize I still had his arm in my hand. "Don't get home too late," He said to me; making me look up to his face. "I'm not in the mood to die from hunger."-_

They were official friends again after that…I had blushed right in his face for the first time then too…

Fighting back tears, and shaking the images of the scene from my head, I turned back around and made my way back down the steps so I could start walking in the direction of Tsubaki and Black*Star's apartment. I really didn't feel like being alone at the moment…and when I couldn't be with Soul…Tsubaki was always my next option. I paused in my walk and narrowed my eyes at the sky; thinking about Tsubaki's warm smile and her wonderful tasting tea…

Why didn't I just go to her in the first place?

* * *

"M-Maka-Chan! What are you doing here?"

Tsubaki seemed surprised as she opened the door for me. She didn't look like she was doing anything so I hadn't interrupted her…the only thing that I could tell she was doing was her daily cleaning of the apartment since she was wearing an apron and had a duster in one hand. "Tsubaki…" I breathed out as I stood in her doorway; my lifeless eyes staring somewhere I couldn't really make out. "I…Can we…do something together…"

Her eyes narrowed and I caught sight of her setting the duster down so she could untie the apron. After tossing the apron somewhere she stepped outside and shut the door; the other hand lightly sweeping some of my bangs to the side. "Your lost without him…aren't you?" She asked me with concern as I kept my eyes away from hers. I didn't have to say anything for her to hear my answer, so quickly she embraced me in a tight, but comforting hug. She didn't say anything…but I could hear her sniffle as if she was crying…and once I felt the wet on the top of my head, I knew she was…there was no mistaking it…Tsubaki was crying for me…

And really…she didn't need to be…

"Tsubaki…please…stop."

Said woman pulled away from me and looked me in the eyes with tearful ones of her own. For a moment she seemed to be confused about what I had said, but when it set in, she gave me a small smile and used a finger to wipe the tears away. "I-I'm sorry, Maka-Chan," She then said to me. "But…I do miss him too." As soon as she said that to me, I looked at the ground quickly, but she hurriedly set a hand under my chin to make me look back up and then set her hands on both my shoulders. "O-Ok…let's go do something…" She then said to me; looking at me with a real smile. "Let's go get our nails done! We can have Liz and Patty give us a friend discount, for a massage too. What do you say?"

Weakly, I smiled and she took my hand to begin walking down the road and towards the nail salon the sisters worked at. I knew that a simple massage and hair combing wouldn't bring a normal smile to my face again. Maybe if Soul suddenly turned up there in a chair getting his hair trimmed would make me smile…but then I'd probably get angry and beat him for acting so casual and not coming to me first to tell me he was fine…I frowned…Who was I kidding? Soul was gone…he wasn't going to be there getting his hair cut…he wasn't going to be there to grin his crooked smile my way and tell me to stop crying like an uncool bookworm. He wasn't going to be there to tell me to shut up while I yelled at him in despair…

_"And because of me…you're four years late to reply…"_

_"Shut up Maka, and just cook." _

That's when I realized that…I probably wasn't going to hear Soul speak to me ever again…

* * *

"You know, I watch the news every day before I go to work." Liz said as she combed my wet hair with her special cosmetologist comb. My sad eyes barely looked up to see her expression as did her work and it seemed that she had a little hope in it. "And there are stories every other week about kidnappings…they go on forever; every day starting out with a "still no sign of little Susie" and you know what…" She stopped combing and smiled at my reflection. "Little Susie always turns up in the end, so trust me…" There was a hand set on my shoulder and I was sure it was hers. "Soul will come home, very soon…maybe sooner than you think."

"Thanks Liz…but…I don't think—"

Tsubaki swung a hand over and set it on my own with a stern yet sympathetic expression which shut me up. Then, without a word, she glanced at Liz's reflection and gave her a small frown. "Liz…I know your trying to help…" She breathed out; glancing my way quickly before eyeing the eldest sister again. "But…Maka really needs to get her mind off of him for awhile…"

"Sorry…I was just—" Liz began but suddenly fell silent since something had caught her eye in the mirror. I glanced at the reflection of the fish tanks in the back ground and spotted a certain person walking on the other side of them; making their way up the platform on which both Thompson sisters worked. Who it was, I couldn't tell at first…but soon they were out in the open and easy to see. That person was Tod, and he had a suit on so he was probably on some kind of lunch break from work. "T-Tod!" Liz spun around and smiled as he came up to her with a smile. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to see how you were doing," Tod answered; leaning in to kiss her on the cheek. She smiled lightly before looking my way again and nearly choked on some unknown substance. "Are you alright, Hun?" He asked her quickly as she turned away to keep working on my hair. Her eyes seemed to narrow as she picked up a pair of scissors and cut a half inch off the end of my sandy blond locks. That's probably when Tod realized what was wrong. "Is this about Soul?" His hazel green eyes met mine for a moment before looking back at Liz. "I know he's gone…but you need to get over that—"

"Excuse me?" Liz snapped before I could say anything to him in my own frustration. She pulled everything she had near my head away and set them down to face him with an irritated glare. "We're going to have a talk…right now." She took his hand and began dragging him away from the sight; leaving me to sit in the chair with no one to touch up my hair at all. Patty paused as she braided Tsubaki's hair and glanced over to the doorway her sister and Tod disappeared. Then with a sigh, she took a step to the side and began to do the finishing touches to my hair for her.

But I didn't think I could take it for much longer…

I just needed to be alone now.

"Sorry…" I reached up with my right hand and tore the large plastic clothe around my neck and stood up from the chair; causing Patty to take a few confused step back. Tsubaki gave me a look of puzzlement as well as I snatched up the brush on the counter and combed it through my hair to make it even. "I just…need to be alone for a little while…" I then said; setting it back down and turning around to walk away. My bangs, in which had been trimmed to be a little shorter, blew across my face as soon as I opened the door to go outside. I'm sure a few loose strands of hair fell and were carried off in the wind as well…and I knew they weren't the only things falling right then…My tears were too.

I cried myself to sleep that night. And I was left with the discomfort of having an empty spot in the bed next to me…the dent that Soul left in the soft mattress…slowly beginning to turn cold…

Yeah…I was just a little bit broken.


	9. A Call for Help

__

_Destroying a Perfect Soul_

_Chapter 9: A Call for Help_

__

_"I saw a vision of Soul this morning…"_

_"And He…he looked like he wanted to kill me…"_

* * *

I woke up with a jump the next morning; wishing that the dream I had could have continued. It had been a normal afternoon in the park and all of my friends were there for a picnic. Tsubaki had baked her infamous peanut butter pie while I sat patiently on the blanket for a piece. Kid had counted a flower's pedals and was obsessing over it the whole time for having 8 of them; both sisters giggling his way—Patty louder of course. And while that was going on, Black*Star was playing pass back with a football…with Soul.

Still lying on my side in the bed, my eyes narrowed and I took a handful of pillow in my left hand. Why did he have to be gone? It wasn't fair…I didn't disserve such a loss and Soul definitely did not deserve to be taken on such an important night! I ground my teeth together and let my eyes shut so I wouldn't let another tear slip by. Maybe it was that Natasha bitch! She didn't like me…but she liked Soul! She could have taken him just to screw with my head!

"Hey, are you crying?"

I froze all of my actions and my eyes snapped open. What…? "Did you just wake up…?" The voice spoke up again and I felt a shift in the bed that definitely did _'not'_ come from me! "What the hell you crying for?" A hand touched my arm and I felt someone's breath against my skin… "You have some kinda nightmare?" That…that was surely Soul's voice!

"S-Soul!"

I felt him smile against my neck.

"Your stuttering, how uncool." He said to me as I struggled to believe what was happening. I guess that was right…saying something like that was so typical of him… "Don't worry…I'm right here, Maka…" I let a smile form across my face. "I'll always be here..."

Finally, I gained the strength to sit up and turn in the bed. But instead of what should have been joy, I felt a wave of despair crash against me and I fell over to lie down again. I tried not to cry again as I stared at the empty space beside me…but I exploded into a fit of sobs anyway because I knew that Soul was lying to me….

He was probably never going to be here with me ever again…

* * *

"That was a foul!" Black*Star yelled as he pointed at a Shibusen Student with an accusing finger. The boy seemed to flinch and drop the basketball before turning to face his coach and apologize. Then as the blue haired P.E teacher set his hands on his hips, the student went back to playing, though he had given the ball to the other team to start. I watched as the team began to play again and the ball was almost through the basket but it had rebounded off the rim and back into the court. It was weird…Not only was he a P.E teacher, but he also coached the school's basketball team. And on the other side of the gym, the Volleyball team—which he coached as well—was practicing too…

"BALL ON COURT!"

All games in the gym stopped and a girl on one of the volleyball courts knelt down and grabbed a basketball to toss it to one of the boys on the other side of the large room. I guessed that was their system of saving lives if a ball were to roll on someone else's court…that's when Black*Star spotted me standing in the doorway. He gave me a very weak smile—obviously showing how much he was hurting too—and then lifted a hand to wave…so I helplessly waved back and pushed away from the door to begin making my way over to him near the benches on the other side of the gym.

"Hey Maka, what you doing here?"

"The apartment seems too empty without Soul…"

As I said that I climbed up the benches a few steps and turned to sit and face the basketball game on the other side of the blue haired man. One boy had the ball and jumped up into the air to dunk it into the basket, but it only ended up hitting the rim and it was launched into the other team's hands. I remembered how much I hated that game…how I was nearly forced into it only because Soul wanted to ask me to the winter ball… My eyes narrowed and as I kept my eyes ahead of me I remembered playing ball with him and the others…back before it was all screwed up because of Medusa…back before all the stress…

_-"Ok, that's another score for Soul's team! It's now nine to five. We're playing to ten, remember that!"_

_In front of me, Soul dribbled the ball with a smug grin on his face. "You know what I'm going to have you do when I win this game?" He asked as he tried to move around me. I lifted a brow as I stepped in front of him; telling him to continue. "For the next three weeks I'm going to have you wake me up personally—no alarm clock—in a maids dress with breakfast already made and at hand." My eye twitched as I felt a muscle in my forehead pulse. "Oh, and don't forget to say "Oh, good morning Mr. Evans. I hope you enjoy the breakfast I made for you!" and then at night you'll make me a nice dinner, tuck me in, and tell me "Good night Mr. Evans, have wonderful dreams." And don't forget this is _'all'_ in your maid dress—"_

_"Well then, I guess I'll have you do the same thing when _'my' _team wins. Maid's dress and all…"_

_"Look at your points Miss. Albarn."_

_"You never know…"_

_"Heh…you wish." Soul laughed before running towards me. Gasping, I went to slap the ball from his hands, but he dodged me and made his way around and over to the basket to make the winning score for he and his team. "That's ten to five!" Soul cheered; high fiving his teammates. "We win!"I only stood there; now thinking about the conversation we just had. He called himself "Evans" two times now that my mind was on the subject…how did the others not hear that?_

_"Hold on Soul! We must speak with you!" Kid and Black*Star yelled at the same time; dragging the white haired teen away and over on the other side of the court. I lifted a brow and let my head tilt to the side slightly as Soul made annoyed faces and shot things back to the other two in front of him. Then, after a moment, all three of them looked at me before going back to what they were saying. This time, both my brows furrowed and I growled in annoyance. They must have been giving him ideas on what to do to me!_

_"Just do it Soul!"_

_"Fine!" The white haired teen shouted back as he walked away from the other two boys. I crossed my arms as he stopped in front of me with that same old smug grin on his face. "Well, there's been a change of plans regarding my request." He then told me. My finger began tapping my arm as he took the moment to take in a deep breath. "Maka Albarn. For losing a game of basketball, the request that you _'must' _fulfill…" He grinned this time; showing off his shark like teeth, "Is to go to the Winter Ball as my date."-_

"Coach, that shouldn't count!"

"I know, but it does! Continue on," Black*Star shouted back at the kid's in front of him. They all rolled their eyes and went back to playing as I came back from my memories. The blue haired man in front of me used to play basketball just like the boy's before us. He and Soul would always go play on the park's courts and during P.E they were always captains of their very own team. They even tried out for Shibusen's team…but only Black*Star got in because the coach then—Sid-Sensei—knew how busy Soul was in band. Yeah that's right…Senior year, Soul joined band so he could play the piano for an audience again. I was so proud of him…

"So…this is_ 'your' _team now, huh?"

Black*Star looked at me in the corner of his eyes and saw me watching the young players running back and forth trying to get the orange colored ball into the basket. He let a medium sized grin spread across his lips, and then nodded to me. "Yeah, they aren't professionals," As he said this, two young men ran into each other and the ball ended up rolling over to the volleyball court. "But they're pretty good…"

"BALL ON COURT!"

As the two boys were helped out, a volleyball player tossed the ball back over them. "You coach volleyball too?" I asked quietly as my eyes were drawn to the girls practicing a game together on the same net. "…At the same time?"

Once again Black*Star nodded. "Yeah…though the great me likes to focus on basketball, so…" He lifted his right hand and pointed towards the office where a blond woman I recognized to be a part of my P.E class senior year, shuffled through some papers. Her name was Jamie. "Jamie's the other P.E teacher here so she usually helps out with the volleyball team."

"Alright girls!" Jamie called out in a brittish accent as she exited the office; checking something on her clipboard and making sure she had a whistle around her neck. "Let's quickly practice your blocking!"

"HAI~!"

"Wow…" I breathed as the girls lined up at the net to do the very thing. "She used to be so shy and so quiet…what happened?"

"She hooked up with Hiro." Black*Star smirked with his arms crossed as he kept his eyes on _'his'_ team. "You know…the guy who was _'never'_ shy." Lazily, I looked at the blue haired man as he lightly kicked the basketball back into a boy's hands. Why didn't I know that? I talked to Hiro every once in awhile back in school and he never mentioned getting Jamie to be his girlfriend…

"When did they…?"

He shrugged. "Around the end of senior year, I think." Black*Star then answered; still not looking my way. "She was all upset because Molly died in that fire...and then Hiro came along like the shining prince he is and fixed things and made her life actually…livable…surprisingly…" His eyes narrowed. "That dudes a prick."I looked at the blond P.E teacher on the other side of the gym and watched as she told the girls about some new skills. That's right…Jamie was bi-sexual. She was in love with her best friend Molly back in high school but was too shy and nervous to say anything…I remember hearing about the fire and how Molly had died in it…but I didn't get to see how it affected Jamie. I guess it really shook her up…maybe Hiro coming along and Molly's death really opened her up to try new things…

Black*Star lifted his whistle that rested against his chest and brought it to his lips so he could blow into it and then point at one of the players. "No points for that shot." He then said as the whole team looked his way; even some of the girls playing volleyball. "The ball bounced off court before it went in the basket."

"But coach—"

"No buts," The blue haired man snapped; eyeing each student of the school that played on the basketball team. "Now play the game right…some of you" Lifting his hand, he pointed to a couple of the players to our right. "Sit out…there's too many on that team." He cringed as they pointed to their selves in question. "Kid would not be pleased…"

"Kiddo-Sensei?"

"Yeah, him."

I studied how Black*Star spoke to those children. He seemed to be much more mellow than he used to be and I was sure it was because of Soul. Or maybe he acted like this just to make sure the players knew whose boss! It was certainly odd of him to acting like it, but it almost seemed that it was natural…since it was a response to Soul's disappearance. In fact, all of us were mellow about it…we just wanted him to come home…

"Hey lady, you friend's with coach?"

To my right, one of the basketball players that had to sit out was looking my way with a curious smile. "Oh…yeah," I told him in response; realizing that the other two who sat out were looking as well. "I met him in elementary school," I then said with a small forced smile…It couldn't be real unless Soul was there to make appear. Like when he'd play the piano for me or dance with me before dinner if he heard music playing on the record player. He'd even make me smile just by looking at me…

"Are you gunna come see how our first game goes?"

"When is that…?"

"The Sunday after…next…Sunday…"

We all looked at Black*Star as he picked up a runaway volleyball and tossed it back over to the girls. Then he turned around and gave me a thumbs up. "…I guess the first game is pretty much in two weeks then," He then said as he gave me one of his own forced smiles—though I knew most of it was true. "The volleyball team's first game is the Monday right after." The basketball players around me looked my way and spoke at the same time.

"You wanna go?"

"Kid, Liz, Patty and Tsubaki said they'd go." Black*Star said to me as he walked over and stood on the last bench before the bottom. He then got to his knees and put his hands together so he could give me a puppy dog face. "Please? It's my first game as coach!" His hands were then in the air. "It's a big deal!" Suddenly, he stopped, dropped his hands and got back to his feet; giving me a somber look. "Or…is Soul…a problem…? I totally understand if you—"

"N-No!" I said with my hands up in defense. "Don't worry, I'll be there." I then said to the kids with another forced smile. "Rain or shine…" I looked at Black*Star and my expression darkened. I didn't like what I was about to tell him…but I felt as if it should have been said anyway…

"Soul with us…or not."

* * *

In the hall on my way to the main entrance, I spotted Kid as he left one of the classrooms; a stack of papers in his hands as he shut the door. I heard him mumbling something about holding them asymmetrically, and let a small smile appear that was probably—I doubt it just a little—real… "Hey, Kiddo," I greeted as he spotted me in the corner of his eyes. He seemed to flinch, but managed a small smile in return and waved with his free hand; which had been quickly filled with papers to support his "symmetrical" balance. "You just going home?"

"Yes," Kid answered as he waited for me to catch up. Then as soon as we were next to each other, we both were walking side by side. "I really need to get home, so I decided to correct the rest of the tests there." He then said to me as he flipped through the pages of tests. I glanced over and saw the sloppy handwriting all over the sheets that obviously screwed with Kid's head…but he seemed to handle it well now that he was a grown man. Though I did see him sigh after going through all the Econ papers. "Usually Liz and Patty help me correct them since the children's handwriting drives me crazy!"

"I can imagine…"

He seemed to spark an idea or remember something and looked my way with a smile. Sometimes I wondered if he ever felt depression when it didn't involve Liz and her relationship with Tod… "Speaking of the girls," He said to me as we turned a corner to walk down a different hall together. "They wanted you to come over tonight since they were doing one last "sleepover" before they're officially "adults", plus…" Kid shrugged and looked forward again just in time to open the main doors. "They want to cheer each other up. You too…so they'd appreciate it if you went." We stopped at the top of the stairs and he seemed to look into the skies nearest cloud. "Hey…Maka-San…"

"…Yes?"

"My father and a few others are currently searching for Soul." Kid said to me, almost completely out of nowhere. "You don't need to worry…Soul will come home." His golden eyes narrowed at the cloud and I looked at it as well. "I know he will…he mustn't leave you behind like this," I definitely agreed with him, but at that moment I was a little preoccupied with the cloud we had been looking at. It was shaped as if it was some kind of word…though it seemed like he didn't even notice… "Well…I probably should get going…" I heard him breathe out in question as I studied the cloud. What did it say?

"S…O…S…?"

My eyes widened greatly.

_"When we're far apart, I can see things that represent how he feels"_

"He needs…help!" I nearly screamed at the top of my lungs as I fell to my knees; causing Kid to stop in his tracks half way down the stairs. He looked up to me quickly and nearly dropped all of the papers before running back up to me with a call of my name. But I kept my wide eyes on the clouds that were shaped as Soul's cry for help. "K-Kid! Soul…he needs me!" I yelled as he knelt down beside me and set a hand on both my shoulders. "H-He needs us! We need to find him!"

"Maka-San please calm yourself!"

"But Soul!" I yelled as I lifted my left hand to point at the cloud in the sky. "The clouds! They're telling me that he needs—"

Kid looked at the clouds and then back to me with a puzzled expression. "Maka-San, they don't say anything," He then said to me; causing me to look down quickly and into his golden eyes. He was giving me a serious look now, and I knew he wasn't lying. Though I knew it was true in his eyes, but I was the one who had the ability to see the signs that told me Soul needed help…not him. So I was the only one that could see the cloud shaped like it was. My shaking green eyes made their way back in the direction of the clouds I had been looking at and, to my surprise, saw that they were normal puffballs in the sky again…no shapes or letters at all… "See?"

'No way…' I thought as Kid helped me to my feet and went to go pick his papers up. I began making my way down the steps as well and met up with him to walk towards my apartment. 'There's no way…' I gulped and my hands snatched up a handful of my sweatpants as I walked alongside my longtime friend.

Was I just imagining it?

* * *

"There we are!" Kid said proudly as he set down a pot of food in the middle of the dining table us women sat at. I sat at the end across from Tsubaki while Liz and Patty sat on one of the wide sides across from Kim and Jackie on the other side. "Bonne apatite, Ladies~" He took off his oven mitts and grabbed the large spoon in the pot so he could begin to put the food—which was spaghetti—on each of our plates. And as he did that, Liz stood up and held her glass of wine up with a smile.

"A toast to Maka," She said to us all; causing me to look up from me meal as Kid came to me to put the spaghetti on my plate in front of me. Everyone around me smiled lightly and took their glasses as well and lifted them up while I just watched. "She's hurting the most right now, and yet she still seems to be sane." She smiled at me with a real smile and I knew that it meant well. "I dedicate this toast to her for being such a strong person, a nice friend, a beautiful woman, and best of all…the bravest person I've met in a long time!" They all lifted their glasses higher and tapped them together as I stood and took my own and lifted it. Liz smiled my way again and leaned over a little to tap my glass with hers and then we all took a drink just as Kid finished filling the last plate.

Kid made his way back over to me and filled my glass back up since I had chugged the damn thing, and once we had sat back down, I looked in the older sister's direction. "Thank you, Liz." I then said to her as Kid finally left the room to ourselves. She only waved it off with a "no prob" and a swing of her hand, and then began to eat her dinner like everyone else that had come over. I guess I was lucky to have friends like them…I lost the love of my life and they lost one of their good friends and yet they tried their best to keep me and theirselves happy. They were all good people…all of them.

"What happened with Tod, Liz?"

Said sister looked up from her meal and glanced over to Tsubaki since she had spoken. "Oh…well we got in a huge argument yesterday about…" Liz hesitated and looked my way and I used my fork to shift the pasta around my plate. "…Soul…" I gave her a quick glance but went right back to my food as she continued. "He doesn't even care what happened and he told me that I shouldn't care either because…" She hesitated again. I could feel fear in her soul…she probably didn't want to say what she was about to tell Tsubaki… "…Well because "Soul is a rude, douche, who steels women away from people" and that "Soul punched him in the face for no reason at all," …and all this nonsense! I almost hit him, but…that would have been abuse and lot's of bad things could have come out of that—"

"I understand," Tsubaki breathed out as she gave me a small glance as well before looking at Liz again. "Are you two still together?" She then asked; sparking a little interest from me actually. Though I knew I looked incredibly gloomy, I was just as curious as everyone else at the table. "Sometimes fights like that can really make a relationship too rocky to handle…" Tsubaki then said to her. "Are you two doing alright?" I could feel Kid's soul bursting with curiosity as well from inside the kitchen…I could feel that he was standing just outside the door listening…

_Poor, Poor, Love Struck, Death the Kid…_

"Well…" Liz looked down at her wine glass and stared at it for awhile before looking back up to the black haired woman at the end of the table. "Yeah, I guess…" She then said; causing all of us to fall completely silent and widen our eyes…well except for Tsubaki, who had a serious look on at the moment. "I told him that we probably should see other people."

"That's definitely a break up!" Kim said from the other side of the table as Liz; a fork up in the air with a meatball stuck on the end. "You and Tod are officially over then."

Liz shook her head as Jackie from beside the pink haired woman nodded in agreement. "I…I don't think we're exactly over—" But something cut her off before she could even finish saying what she wanted to tell them. And from what I tell…it came from within the kitchen…most likely from Kid…

"YES!"

A crash came from within the kitchen and all of us girls jumped in our seats—except for Patty though: she just kept eating her dinner as we stared at the kitchen door. Liz got to her feet and set her napkin down before scooting her chair back so she could make her way over to the door. "Kid?" She called out as she pressed her hand against it; sounds of the Econ teacher's cursing and the sounds of pots and pans being clashed together rumbling behind the door. "Hey…you alright?" She called again as she pushed the door open to walk inside. As Liz checked on the OCD freak, I couldn't help but smile lightly. Kid had overheard the conversation and found out that the love of his life may be single now…how lucky of him. I wished things could have been that easy for me when it came to getting Soul's affection in return…

The crash in the kitchen wasn't the only thing that happened to get us to pay attention to the black and white haired man throughout the night. We kept catching him eavesdropping, and he always came in to the bedroom with drinks asking if we were thirsty. Once he blushed because of Liz and lost focus, tripped and spilled all over her pajamas. The spill wasn't the only thing he was freaking out about though…mostly because the stain on her clothes was…asymmetrical. He literally tore the clothes right off of her—yes up to the point where she was just standing in her bra and underwear—and quickly made his way out of the room with a beet red face and bleeding nose; mumbling out apologies as he made his way to the laundry room.

_Poor, Poor, Love Struck, Death the Kid…_

"Are we at least cheered up a little bit?" Liz asked as she slipped on one the nightgowns she never wore. All us other girls looked up from our blankets and I from my book. They all nodded with small smiles and I knew they were true. They were all a little less bummed about Soul…mostly because of the humorous night the flustered Death the Kid had given us. Though my nod was a lot more forced then I thought it would be. I thought coming to this slumber party would have cheered me up like it should of…but all it did was make things worse…

I lied down and shut my book so I could set it aside and rest my hands on my belly. The other's began talking about their jobs and some "cute" coworkers and what not as I stared at the ceiling. They were lucky to have jobs…I worked as an assistant at the library every once in awhile just to pass time and earn some extra cash…especially when Soul didn't have a job. That reminded me…he wasn't able to start his job since he had been taken by some mysterious person that's still a huge mystery to all of us. That's what made me angry for the most part…Yes I was sad, and I missed my little "Shark Pup"…but I was ticked off that Shinigami-Sama hadn't actually sent out professionals to go see if they could find out who took him!

'Soul…' I thought as I shut my eyes to go to sleep. 'Please…tell me…' There was silence…the only thing I could hear was the idle chit chat next to me in the bedroom…though it was still muffled out from my concentration. 'Please tell me if you're ok!'

_…Help me…_

My eyes snapped open and widened to their limits. That…that was definitely Soul's voice!


	10. The Messenger

___Sorry for the late update, guys! I went on vacation for Thanksgiving break and went to Hollywood for a few days. I wasnt home to give you guys the next chapter...Sorry :( _

___But here it is anyway, so please forgive me..BTW, since Chrona was a girl in my last story, "it" is a "he" in this one...oh and those of you who had wished me a happy birthday, THANK YOU!_

* * *

_Destroying a Perfect Soul_

_Chapter 10: The Messenger_

_"I saw a vision of Soul this morning..."_

_"And he...He looked like he wanted to kill me..."_

_

* * *

_

_It was quiet…the room I was in was dark and I stared in front of me with no emotion in my gaze. I didn't want to look around…I didn't need to look around…because there was nothing there. The void around me mocked my unmoving self. It was empty, like my heart had become. Soul used to be there…he used to be right there in my heart everyday…but now he was gone. He was out of my reach…out of sight…no longer able to hold my hand and no longer there to tell me to shut up when I cry. He was gone…and he was no longer in my heart._

_"Of course he's still in your heart,"_

_'No…' I thought to the voice I heard; which sounded almost too familiar. 'He's gone…' My blank eyes narrowed but I kept my face as emotionless as possible. Who was talking to me anyway…? 'If he's no longer here…with me…he's no longer in my heart.'_

_"But he _'is'_ still here within your heart,"_

_My eyes widened and I glanced down to my lips even though I couldn't see them entirely. That voice…it was coming from…me? I was talking to myself and not even realizing it! Something appeared before me and I looked back up to see that it was a bed…just a normal sheeted bed with a single red colored pillow, standing there in the pitch dark. Though, it wasn't empty…There was someone sleeping in it. "See…" I spoke to myself again without actually noticing, and then took a step forward to give the figure in the bed a better look. A small head of white stuck out from underneath the blanket and rested on the red pillow and as I reached for the covering, I paused; seeing exactly who that person was. "Soul…he…"_

_"I told you…Soul still exists somewhere in here…"_

_I shut my eyes and shook my head and let myself freeze for a moment. Then, after hearing a stir in the bed before me, I slowly pried them back open; only to flinch and take a step back. His eyes had opened and he was looking at me with curious crimson colored eyes. "Mother?" He spoke in question as he sat up; causing me to take another step back. Now I was the one who was confused…what did he mean by "mother"? I-I wasn't Roselin! I didn't look anything like her! My hair was colored like sand, my eyes were big and green… "Wh-what do you need? Am I in trouble?"_

_"S-Soul, I'm not—" I paused as something fell over my shoulder that didn't belong to me. Long white hair… "What?" I breathed in confusion; looking down to see that I was in a long white nightgown instead of the blue shirt and pants I had fallen asleep in. I turned around and saw that the rest of the room had appeared before me. What was going on? Why had I suddenly become his mother in his own childhood bedroom? "I…I…" Closing my now crimson colored eyes I lifted my hands and hit the sides of my head. "Wake up, wake up, wake up!"_

_"Mother!" I heard Soul call out in the accent he once had. As I hit my head, a thump so the floor was sounded and I felt the little boy take the side of my—No…Roselin's—nightgown in his hands. "Mother what's wrong?" I heard him then ask me as I continued on hitting myself and pulling at the long white hair that sat upon my head. "Please stop hitting yourself! You're scaring me!" I fell to my knees and dropped my hands into my lap; realizing it was nearly hopeless. Soul's small hands were set on my arm and on reflex, I looked up into his large young eyes…only to see that he had been crying. "If…if you were…g-gunna come t-talk to me about Chrona…I-I'm sorry! I'll s-stop hanging out with him—I swear!"_

_A little more relaxed, I lifted a brow. "Chrona…?" Who was that? Was that the childhood friend Wes had talked about at the party? The one that had hurt Soul…?_

_"Mother…?"_

_"Maka?"_

"Maka, please, wake up!"

I opened my eyes and saw that I was back in Liz's bedroom on the floor within the blankets I was in when I had first fallen asleep. I felt wet all over and sat up quickly to see that they had towels in their hands and some looked worried. "You were sweating like crazy!" Liz said to me with a shout as Tsubaki came into the room with another towel. She paused in the doorway and looked at me with even more worry than the rest of them, though Liz kept talking. "A-Are you ok? What were you dreaming about?" As she asked me this, I stood up and tossed all the blankets to the side. I decided to ignore their calls and make my way out of the room. In the hall, I walked quickly in the direction of the front door and I left Kid's mansion and began to walk home…

I didn't understand…the dream wasn't even…scary. And yet…I was sweating…and I was still a little shaken up…

* * *

I turned on the coffee machine and let that sit as I opened the cupboard beside me to take out a bowl. Next to it, I set down a box of Apple Jacks cereal and made my way over to the fridge. After opening it I took out the milk, opened it, put it in the bowl and then poured the cereal into it. I took out a spoon, grabbed the mug that now had coffee in it and began eating as I leaned on the counter, my eyes just staring forward as I tried to make sense of the dream I had; my hand shaking uncontrollably.

What did it mean?

Why did I even dream it?

I hadn't realized it at first, but once I left the mansion, it felt like fingers were poking my left arm; dancing across the skin as if I were some kind of piano. I glanced down to the round shaped grains in the bowl of milk and narrowed my eyes. I woke up with Soul doing that to my arm once...he was still asleep…and when he woke up, he told me that had dreamed about playing the piano for me inside an empty ballroom…he said that it was one of the best dreams he had ever had…

The phone went off and I jumped in surprise; nearly dropping the bowl on the way. As it rang, I slowly set the bowl down and walked over to where the phone was so I could pick it up. And when I did, there was a nervous, yet excited squeal on the other end.

_"H-Hello? Maka?"_

"Papa…?"

_"Hello darling! I…I was wondering...if you needed more comforting…"_

I stared at one of the tiles on the floor and waited in case he had anything else to say. But he stayed silent, so I spoke up. "Papa…" I began with a slight quiver. He must have sensed something was wrong since he had spoken up before I could continue…

_"You know! Spending time with people could help!" _I heard him say with a little too much enthusiasm._ "I know you've already tried a few times…I've talked to Kid…" _There was a short pause._ "Um…maybe go to dinner with…me? Possibly your friends…maybe I can call your mother and all three of us can—" _I shook my head, even though he couldn't see and shut my eyes.

"Thank you, Papa, but no…," I said to him quietly before taking the phone away from my ear. I heard him say my name into the speaker, but I had already hung up to discontinue our conversation and I set the phone back down on its charger. Then I picked up the mug of coffee again and took a large gulp of that. My eyes wondered around the apartment as I did so and I caught sight of the clock and the time. It was around 9:00 so that meant that school was in session when Papa had called me. Maybe he had been out in the hall or possibly in the Death Room… It also meant that Black*Star and Kid were in the middle of teaching their lessons in their classes.

Was I allowed to go give them a visit…? I could get a visitor's pass…but two days in a row? Would Shinigami-Sama even let me…? I set down the mug and walked into the bedroom and over to the desk. Then I opened the drawer and took out a pen, paper and a safety pin. I set the paper down on the desk's surface so I could write "visitor" on it. Then I wrote my name and the date down before picking it up to pin it to my shirt. After that I left the room and made my way back into the kitchen. I took the mug, drank what was left of the coffee and tossed that and the bowl of cereal into the sink. "Maybe…I can ask to watch Kid teach…" I muttered to myself as I opened the front door to leave and make my way down the street. I looked up—shutting one eye because of the suns bright light—and saw the school up ahead.

…It was kind of depressing really…I kept going back to the place where I met Soul in the first place…

* * *

"The definition of the Opportunity Choice is…?" Kid paused and looked to the student in the middle of the classroom that had her hand up. He then smiled and pointed her way. "Yes, Micky?"

"You're Second Best Choice!"

Kid smiled proudly and nodded. "Exactly!" He then said to the girl; who in return made a cheerful swing of the hand and clapped it against her friend's. I ended up letting a small smile form on my face as I watched the man in front of me teach the group of students who had their desks arranged in a very…symmetrical way. "So for a review, Scarcity is the condition that results from a society not giving enough resources to produce all the things that people want. And due to this, people must make choices based on what will benefit them the most and cost them the least. Remember class, there is no such thing as "I had no choice" and remember that People's choices involve costs!"

"Meaning, to choose is to refuse something else, right?"

"Correct."

He sure taught them well…School had just started recently and they were already calling out answers as easily as ABC …Back when it was my class in ECON the students always sat there and waited for the teacher to call someone out in frustration…Kid was a great teacher… "Uh…someone here in the class name the Factors of Production," Kid said as he set down his notebook and looked up. Someone raised their hand and he called on them by their name.

"Land, Labor, Capital and Entrepreneur!"

"CORRECT!" Kid called out to the boy happily with a clap of his hands. Just then, he seemed to notice me and grin…symmetrically of course. I smiled lightly right back, but it disappeared as soon as the bell rang, and, Kid seemed to jump in surprise. Then, with a slightly nervous squeak he turned his attention back the class. "Alright, class is dismissed. Stand and bow!" Each student did as they were told and called out their good-byes to their sensei and then made their way out of the classroom. I stepped away from the doorway so they could leave without a problem and walked over to Kid's desk as he erased things that had been written on the board.

"One class down, only three to go…huh?"

I heard Kid sigh and turn to face me with a small smile. "If only there were eight classes every day and not throughout the year..." He then said to me quietly as his eyes fell down onto some papers on his desk. "That would be nice," He set down the eraser and took a step forward to shuffle through the papers, before looking back up. "Can you do me a favor and grab their notebooks? They turn them in every week on Wednesday, by leaving them on their desks…" His hand lifted so he could point behind me and when I looked over my shoulder, I saw the students' notebooks scattered about their desks. With a small smile, I nodded and made my way over to the closest desk so I could start collecting the students' "homework" of the week. "So…what brings you here, Maka-San?"

I paused only for a moment as I reached for a blue colored notebook labeled "Micky's Notebook" and then looked in Kid's direction. "Oh…I wanted to know if maybe…" My speaking softened and I went back to staring at the girl's notebook for awhile. What was the reason I came here, anyway? I didn't even think of anything…I just came. "Um…" I picked it up and set it on the stack in my hands before turning to walk over to his desk to set it down on it's surface, while he signed a few papers. "I wondered if maybe…you'd like to go to dinner tonight." His writing stopped and he looked up at me just as the door opened for the next class to enter.

"You mean…like a Date—"

"N-No! I mean…" I stuttered as I pondered on what to say next. Geez…that is what happened when I just blurted out things without thinking! "Like…you can bring Patty and Liz…and I'll ask…Black*Star and Tsubaki to come along…" I then said to Kid as he set down his pen to lift his brows in a symmetrical way. I let a small nervous smile appear and I scratched my right cheek as he stared at me patiently. "Like…a dinner for us friends…you know…just the six of us…y-you can sit next to Liz if you w-want!"

With a small smile of his own, he nodded to me with closed eyes. "Alright then," He then said; opening his eyes again. "Maybe we could go to Tsubaki's restaurant, since the sisters and I haven't been there yet." I nodded to him as he stood from his seat, and at first, it looked like he was about to say something to the class, but something on his desk caught his eye. "Ah, that's right," I heard him mumble as he reached down and took a purple notebook in his hand. "This belongs to Rachel. She's in my first and last period of the school day…but because of certain "tutoring" schedules, she was sent to your place for the very thing this morning…" He looked at me with a soft chuckle. "You should head home and meet up with her before she waits outside your door for too long."

"Oh, geez…" I gasped lightly as he set the notebook back down. "Alright then, I'll be going then—"

Though as I turned, he took my hand and pulled me over to whisper so the students wouldn't hear him. "Maka," Kid breathed in a serious tone; which actually freaked me out a bit. "Please, be careful of what you say around that girl…" He then said to me as he looked at his class in the corner of his eyes. "She was abducted last year by someone named Eruka, and was missing for months. When she returned she wasn't the same…so please…many things that I have said, have caused her to nearly go insane…Don't try and talk to her about it…she doesn't remember a thing about the abduction and she feels awfully bad about it. So…just, watch your mouth, your tone, and just please make sure you don't let her find anything that could cause her to slip…got it?"

"Y-Yes…"

"I'm sorry," Kid said to me as he let me take a step back. He looked at me with a sad expression before looking down again. "I thought that I may have needed to warn you,"

I shook my head. "N-No, that's alright." I then said to him; causing his golden eyes to look into my green ones again. "Just…next time…try and be a little more…calm about it, ok?" I tried to smile away the strange feeling of fear as I looked at him. Something about what he had said gave me the chills…for the first time…Kid actually scared me. "Just…try not to freak me out…"

* * *

I could already see the teenager waiting for me before I was even half way up the stairs to the apartment. She was dressed in some pretty casual clothes, almost similar to the outfit I saw her wearing on Monday, though the only difference was that she was wearing a thick jacket to shield her body from the cold morning air. "Hello Rachel," I said to her lightly as I reached the top of the stairs. She seemed to flinch upon my arrival and look my way as I walked over; my hand in my pocket digging for the key. "I see you're here, for tutoring?" She nodded as I dug the key into the door and finally opened it.

"S-Sorry about this Miss. Albarn,"

"it's ok," I said to her as I opened the door and let her inside. Then I shut the door and made my way over to the counter so I could set the key down. After that, as she got settled, I grabbed the mug from inside the sink and began to wash it out. "Go ahead and sit at the table and take out what you need." I told her as I began filling the mug again with more coffee; the steam from being heated earlier that morning lifting into the air. "Do you have any books on your animal? If not, I might have—"

"It's a reptile…and yes I do."

I turned around as I used a spoon to stir the cream into the coffee, and lifted a brow. "Reptile?" I then asked as she took a seat in front of an open bag and books and paper scattered about the table. I saw her nod and I then began making my way over. Now that I think about it…Shinigami-Sama said something about it being an animal, Reptile or even a fish…right? But…"What kind of reptile?"

"The kind with no legs and feet." Rachel answered as I took a place next to her chair. Then as I looked at her paper, she told me her report subject. "The _Vipera Aspis_." She said as I stared at the Egyptian reptile. "Otherwise known as—"

"The Asp Snake."

"Yeah!"

Why did looking at that snake remind me of Medusa? No, not just Medusa…but her own pet snake she had as well. Something in the back of my mind rang and, quickly, I set a hand on Rachel's shoulder; causing her to flinch in surprise. Then, suddenly, I felt a surge of energy charge through my arm from the young high school student. I shut my eyes in pain as she—for some reason—let out a painful sounding squeal. The next thing I knew was that she had passed out; my hand still on her shoulder…and the room was going dark…and growing cold…

My hand broke free from Rachel's shoulder and in a panic I saw my surroundings fade in the dark quickly. Even the floor disappeared along with the table and, soon, Rachel was gone as well. "What?" I gasped as I took a step back. It was as if I was standing in nothing…just like my dream that morning…just like a large black room—completely pitch dark—Though I could see myself as clear as day!

As I kept stepping back, I ran into something and stopped. Though it was more like I had bumped into _'someone' _since a pair of hands had appeared on my shoulders and pushed me back forward. "H-Hey!" I yelped as I turned around and made a scared—but still angry—expression. Though it disappeared when I saw who had shoved me. It was a man…a tall one with brown hair and broken shackles on his wrists. He was dressed as if he had just broken out of jail…

"Hello Missy~"

"Wha—"

"It's nice to see you again, Maka~"

My eyes widened and the hairs on the back of my neck stood on end as chills ran up and down my spine. That voice…it could only belong to one person! "M-Medusa!" I yelled out as I turned around quickly. And…there she was…the blond nurse with the snake like gaze and her lips shaped in a demonic smile. Her long braid that fell onto her chest swayed as she shifted her weight to her right foot and crossed her arms.

"No need to yell, Maka-Chan." I went to yell again, but she held up a finger to shush me. And just then, in the corner of my eyes two more figures appeared in the same direction. But I refused to look… "Now, I'm happy to see that my messenger got to you," Medusa hissed as she reached up with her left hand and brushed a few strands of hair away. "As you can see, Maka, I've figured out how to tamper with the human soul…you're not the special one anymore—" I took a step forward but she held her hand out again. "Uh-Uh, take one more step and…" Trailing off, Medusa shifted her yellow snake like gaze over to my right where the other two figures were. "…I'll just have him killed right_ 'now'_"

Quickly taking the hint that she wanted me to look, I spun to my right and shot a glance over to the two figures. One was standing—her long silver hair falling over her shoulders and a knife in one hand—and the other person was in a chair—tied up with rope and chain and their head bowed down as if they were sleeping. At first I was confused about the frog like woman, but as soon as I saw the white hair and the torn pin striped suit, I knew exactly what was going on…

Medusa had Soul! And she…she was going to kill him!

"SOUL!"

"Shush, he's sleeping." Medusa said as I watched the man I love twitch to the sound of my voice. I glared at her again and took a step in her direction, and this time, instead of stopping me, she just nodded in the other woman's direction. "Eruka," She simply said; causing me to stop and look over. The woman known as Eruka lifted her free hand and took a chunk of Soul's hair in it. My eyes widened as she lifted his face up and placed the sharp end of the blade up to his jugular. I couldn't help but scream at the top of my lungs.

"NO! DON'T TOUCH HIM!" I shrieked as I fell to my knees and watched the blood that had already been on his chin, drip down to his lap. Eruka just looked up at me with a narrow grin as she began to shove the knife into his skin. "STOP IT! PLEASE!" I screamed as I burst into tears and set my hands on the ground. "P-Please…don't h-hurt him…" I was shaking now…like crazy…as if I was lost in the middle of the polar ice caps…I couldn't take it. Soul being hurt in front of me shook my up back in Junior year...back before we were even a couple seeing him get hurt scared the living day lights out of me…and now…he was everything to me…I loved him too much to just bare look at him in that state!

"You know…you could end all of this…" Medusa said to me as she waved the knife away from Soul's neck. My body continued to shake as she made her way over to me and knelt down beside me. Then, my head, with great struggle, turned to face her and I saw her snake like smile spread across her lips. "My whole conflict with his family started out when two little boys became friends and didn't play safe..." She began as if telling a story to a small child. In the corner of my eyes, I saw Soul's head rise again, but this time he had no help…He was awake. "Remember a few years ago…when I mentioned to your friends that I had killed his family for money…?"

_-"For one thing…Soul Eater isn't his name." I felt Soul shudder within my arms. He was listening…he was thinking just about the same thing I was._

_"WHAT?"_

_Medusa held up her hand to silence the blue haired boy who had spoken up. "He has an older brother named Wes. And both of them are very talented young men…" Her snake like gaze fell upon Soul and I and she grinned like the very snake she was. "Isn't that right, Soul?" She then asked; causing him to shudder again and lean more into my embrace. I found myself glaring at her with all the fury I could find in myself. But she didn't seem to notice as she looked at the puzzled group again. "His brother is the violinist of the family…and your dear Soul is the pianist." I looked at the group and saw that their eyes widened to show realization but still a little bit of confusion; meaning that they weren't getting it exactly yet… "I killed Soul's parents a long time ago for money. They wouldn't give it to me, so I used force." Medusa confessed with a small but creepy giggle. "Figure it out yet? His name is Soul Evans."-_

"…How could I forget?" I asked with a bit of a sarcastic shudder. She let out a small giggle and looked over to Soul and Eruka. I looked as well and saw that he had his tired red gaze upon me and at the same time, he wore a confused expression. "S-Soul…" I breathed out quietly as he watched the two of us. He went to speak, but as soon as a single noise shot out of his mouth, Eruka swung down the handle of the knife and hit him in the back of the head; causing him to let out a painful yell that nearly overpowered my own. "SOUL!" I shouted as a response as I tried to get to my feet, but Medusa took my arm and pulled me back down.

"Get me my money, Maka…and I'll be glad to give Soul back." She grinned an evil smile. "After all, it was his parents who took the money in the first place~ never was it _'his'_ fault…"

My eyes widened as I watched Soul struggle to get out of the chair; Eruka hitting him and holding him down by the shoulders every here-and-there. At one point, he had spit out some of his own blood… "H-How much…?" I asked Medusa as I watched the one I love get tortured. Suddenly he and Eruka disappeared, and the man that had appeared before me first faded as well. As I watched my apartment come back to life, I felt the witch of the modern century's breath in my ear one last time.

"My whole life's savings…let's leave it at that, for now~"


	11. Paranoid

_Destroying a Perfect Soul_

_Chapter 11: Paranoid_

_"I saw a vision of Soul this morning..."_

_"And he...He looked like he wanted to kill me..."_

* * *

When I came to, I was on my kitchen floor next to the table and once again I had been sweating. Not as much as I had been that morning…though it was close. My tired eyes fluttered open and I struggled to help myself sit up and as soon as I could, I slammed my hand on my table to help me stand. Once I was on my feet, I felt like I was already out of breath, as if I was out of shape. I nearly doubled over again, but I took hold of the nearest chair to keep me standing, and then, something caught my eye. It was Rachel. She was still passed out at the table, her head firmly planted in her book, and her arms dangling from each side of her body.

If I didn't know any better, I would say she looked dead.

But, even though I knew she wasn't, I still set a finger on her neck to check her pulse. I was right…she was still alive. And…I was still shaking. "Damn it…" I muttered to myself as I turned around and made my way over to the kitchen counter. I needed to see the clock. I needed to see the time! "6 o'clock?" I breathed out as my green eyes fell upon the blinking numbers. Rachel and I had both been out nearly the whole day! "R-Rachel…" I called out as I looked down at the counter's surface. There was no answer… "Rachel get up." My voice sounded weak…I needed something to drink. My throat was dry and so were my lips and mouth…I was soaked in sweat and tears, but my mouth was just…terrible… "Rachel! Please, wake up!" I turned around and without realizing it, I threw the nearest thing in her direction. It wasn't a knife thank goodness…but it was the glass pot from the coffeemaker…probably just as bad…

"RACHEL!"

The glass hit the table and shattered into pieces; causing the brown haired girl to wake up with a shout and fly back in her seat. The chair fell over and brought her along with it as it crashed down to the floor, and as that happened, some of the glass fell over the edge of the table; one slitting her cheek open. Immediately I felt horrible about it…but just the thought of her being Medusa's messenger made me want to strangle that girl. I knew she was innocent, but I couldn't help it…I was beginning to get paranoid.

"Ow…Ow…Ow…"

"I-I'm sorry Rachel," I called out as I turned around and reached into the medicine cabinet. I pulled out a cloth, got it wet, and then took out a Band-Aid. "I didn't mean to throw anything…really," I then said as I walked over to her while she cried from the pain, and then, I knelt down and took the cloth to her cheek. After cleaning off the blood, I set the cloth down and covered the wound with the Band-Aid. "It's 6 o'clock…you might need to go home…" She looked confused for a moment, but her shaking eyes found the clock and she understood that I wasn't lying.

"I…I don't even remember falling asleep…"

I paused as I cleaned up the healing supplies, but quickly set them aside and helped her stand and shove things in her bag. "I lost track of time," I told her as she tried to help; only to get things swiped out of her hands. I slammed her snake book shut and set it in her bag while she finally gave up and just watched me. "You fell asleep during the tutoring, and I let you sleep…Sorry I didn't wake you up sooner."

Rachel seemed to notice something was wrong… "Are you ok?" I heard her ask me with a quivering voice as I struggled to get her papers together neatly. I was shaking too much for it to happen. "Miss. Albarn…you look terrible. You're sweating," She then said to me as my hands continued to shake as I packed her things. "What happened? You look like you've just seen a ghost—"

"Maybe I did!" I gasped with a loud shout; causing her to jump and take a step back. "Or maybe I didn't!" I then said as I finally zipped the bag shut. Then, I held it up to her and licked my dry lips with a small glare. "Now, get out and go home, Rachel." She looked terrified as she reached for her back pack. And when she finally got it on, she made her way over to the front door and made no hesitation before leaving. I licked my lips again and quickly made my way over to the phone. Was what I saw just a dream? Or did Medusa really have Soul? I needed to make sure.

_"Hello?"_

"Stein! I-It's me, Maka!" I gasped as soon as I heard my old sensei's voice on the other side of the line. I didn't even let him finish before I spoke again. "Y-You check up on Medusa every month, right?" I then asked him; causing him to respond with a "yes". "Can you do me a favor and check up on her right now?"

_"What's all of this about, Maka?"_

"J-Just do this for me! Please!" I shouted as I turned around and slid down the side of the counter and onto the floor. I didn't realize I was crying again…but I guess it didn't really matter. I'm sure he was listening to it from the other side of the line since he hadn't answered me yet. It was a long and uncomfortable silence as I cried silently to myself. "Please…Stein…" I breathed out after another minute of the silence. Finally…he spoke up.

_"Alright,"_ I heard him say to me; causing me to smile with dry lips that had been touched by my tears. _"I'll get back to you tomorrow."_

"Th-Thank you Stein…"

_"You're welcome…Sleep well,"_

As soon as the line was cut, I threw the phone across the room and hugged my legs close; staring at the far wall. In the corner of my eyes, I caught sight of Blair peeking at me from the bedroom doorway, but soon, she disappeared and left me alone in the main room again. I was sure that Kid and the others were going to arrive soon…so, I probably needed to get cleaned up. My hands, shaking still, I let go of my legs and pressed down on the floor so I could stand up. I didn't even bother cleaning up the glass on the ground…or picking up the chair that had fallen over…I just walked into the bathroom, started the water and took one of the loneliest showers I probably would ever have.

* * *

Stares are often considered as rude…some are meant to tell people certain things. Like, "I hate you" or "I love you" or sometimes they can even mean "Maka, what the hell is wrong with you, I'm worried for the sake of your well being" … When I saw my friends stares in the restaurant, I realized that theirs'…was the 3rd option. I noticed that they had been giving me the same stare ever since I left the apartment with them. I hadn't let them inside, but I was sure they saw what was in there anyway. They probably saw the glass…the knocked over chair…and all that stuff…Shit, now that I think about it…I had no idea where the phone went…

"Anyone gunna have the last one?" I asked as if I hadn't noticed the concerned stares I was getting. I looked around with a small smile and then when no one responded, I reached over and took a piece of bread from the basket in front of us. I put in my mouth and looked up to see that they were all still giving me the same looks. "Wow…" I breathed after swallowing the food that was in my mouth. They only made their stare more visible…Even Black*Star wasn't eating to do it…that was pretty incredible. "You guys can sure go a long time without blinking—"

"Maka!" Liz gasped as I went to take another bite of the bread. Finally their stares had been broken and she set a hand on her forehead to let out a sigh. Tsubaki, from right beside me, reached over and took the bread from my hand to set it aside and take both my hands in hers as Liz spoke again. "We saw the mess in your apartment and we can't help but be a little worried…oh and curious…" She seemed to glare at me, but I knew it wasn't because she was mad, she was just…worried. "If something is happening, you know you can tell us—"

"Nothing happened, really." I told her with a small shrug of the shoulders before glancing away to my right; catching sight of the eldest of the Evans brothers. My eyes widened slightly only for a moment before I pulled one of my hands away from Tsubaki to take a drink of my soda. What a coincidence to see him and Natalie there…I was planning on talking to one of them about this "Chrona" person anyway… "I…dropped the coffee pot when I was refilling my mug…"

"You're lying, aren't you?"

"No…" I breathed out as I watched Natalie stand from her seat and say something to her husband before making her way over to the restrooms. I flashed a quick glance to Liz and set my drink down. "If you will excuse me," I then said as I pulled my other hand away from Tsubaki. I stood up and set down my napkin so I could begin making my way over to the restrooms as well. And on the way, I think Wes saw me. "Hi, Wes." I spat out quickly as I kept on moving past him. I felt my feet moving faster, the closer I got to the door and I hadn't really realized that I had nearly thrown the door open. "Natalie," I half yelled; causing the pregnant woman by the sink to jump in surprise.

"Oh! Maka, you…scared me." Natalie breathed as she set a hand on her chest and shut her eyes with a sigh. Her thick Italian accent caused my ear to twitch, but I put that aside and shut the door as she opened her ice colored eyes again. "Ciao, how is Miss. Albarn doing today~" She sang in question with a petite and cute smile as I set my hand on the counter.

"Just fine," I then said to her in a lie; causing her smile to fade. I wished for it to stay…her cute face made it easier to relax… "I need to ask you a few questions,"

"Va bene"

I lifted a brow at her Italian and saw that she had another smile on her face…so I guess it was her way of saying "Ask away" … "Well…you lived beside Soul and Wes right? You were their neighbor…?" I asked her as the music from the speakers seemed to quiet down. She nodded to me with another smile. "So that means you knew about Soul's friend…the one who cut his chest open…right?" She seemed a little confused this time so I looked to the side only for a moment before looking at her again; this time saying it a bit differently. "The boy, the one who cut Soul's chest open, do you know who he is…or maybe even…was?"

"Non del tutto—"

"English, please, Natalie!"

"N-Not quite…"

I didn't mean to frighten her…but I guess my paranoia was turning me into an angry person… "I'm sorry," I said to her as she looked away from me with a frown. "I know you aren't well with keeping your Italian in, but please, make sure I know what you're saying," I then muttered out as I looked away as well. "I…I feel like I'm slipping…one small thing gets me angry now…so…please…"

"Scusa…" Natalie breathed as she rubbed her left arm with her right hand. Then with a small sigh she looked back up with a smile and reached over to lift my head up by the chin. "I do know…just a little bit," She then said to me as her hand dropped down onto her stomach. "He was a little boy who lived down street from both our homes," I nodded to her as she began her explanation. "Very shy he was, yes, but Poco Soul seemed to like him anyways. I remember his hair…" She lifted both her hands and presented her own hair to me. "So messy it was, and pink—no—purple I believe! One of the two! Always, he asked "how do I do this" and "I do not know how to deal with this" and Poco Soul would always help and explain." She dropped her arms and set a hand on her chin to think. "Mmm…Scusa, ma…I do not remember boy's name…"

"Was it Chrona?"

Natalie looked up quickly and saw me watching and waiting for an answer with anticipation. The name seemed to strike something in her memory since she had given me a smile and nodded. "Sí" she then said to me. "That was it. I can never remember that boy's name," She let out a small giggle and smiled to me with perfectly straight teeth. "Strange one he was…"

"What about his mother? Or Father…do you know about them,"

"Not a clue...I never met them."

_-__"That…is a mystery that I've been trying to solve for many years." Wes said to me quietly; causing me to look back up. He was looking away again, and this time his eyes were glossy as if he was remembering something. "Mother and Father knew Medusa before their deaths…she was the mother of a friend of Soul's…" He then said as if describing the memory he was having. My eyes widened slightly, and I felt Soul's soul shift within the room and come to the door. "That's all I've figured out...I knew who is friend was…but, I hadn't met the mother. And...I'm glad I didn't, but sad at the same time…"-_

My eyes narrowed and I looked at the ground by our feet for a moment. Chrona had to have some kind of connection with Medusa since she had told me that the conflict was because of two boys who hadn't played safe. Maybe from what Wes had said…maybe she _'was' _the mother of Chrona. It would make a little more sense…I'm sure when she told me that little "story" she meant that by saying she was probably Chrona's Mother…so when he cut Soul, his parents got mad at…Medusa? "Natalie," I breathed out in question as I looked back up into her eyes. She lifted a brow and tilted her head to the side. "What about Medusa, the one who killed Roselin and Sosano. Do you know why she attacked them for money? There has to be some kind of reason she attacked _'them'_ out of thousands of other families out there."

"What happened between Medusa and the Evans family is…well…only in the knowledge of Medusa, Roselin and Sosano."

"One's completely nuts and on the bad side while the other two are dead." I told myself quietly with a sigh as I looked down again. Once again I heard her say "Scusa" as she set a hand on my shoulder. Then, she took a step forward, lifted my head again and kissed me on the forehead with a goodbye. Then she walked over to the doorway and left me alone in the empty and quiet restroom. I stared at myself in the mirror and watched for a moment. Everything seemed to be like some kind of mystery nowadays. Where did Soul go? Even though I was sure it was Medusa now…it was just too hard not to believe. Why did Medusa kill Soul's parents? Was she really Chrona's Mother...and was Chrona involved in the whole conflict or not? I shut my eyes and tried to make sense of it all. Why would Medusa even ask me to bring her money? Why was the amount enough to fill her whole life's savings?

"Mother?"

My eyes flew open and I looked up again to see that no longer was I in the restaurants bathroom, but now I was in a normal household one. My hair had become white again and once more my eyes were red. Again I found myself as Roselin…in a normal, casual dress standing before her mirror. Behind me, a young Soul stood in the doorway in a white and blue striped shirt and black pants. He had both his arms behind his back and a small smile on his face. Why had I come back to this place…?

"Mother can I go play with Chrona?"

I turned around and faced the younger version of the pianist I knew so well and stared at him for a moment. "Yes…" I then breathed out quietly; causing him to smile a little more before saying his thanks and turning around to leave. "W-wait, Soul," I called out quickly in Roselin's voice and accent; causing him to pause and turn back around. I walked over and knelt down in front of him before taking one of his tiny hands in mine. "Soul…uh, darling…can you tell me something?" He nodded with a lazy but loving childish stare and I smiled lightly in return. "Can you tell me the name of Chrona's mother?"

Soul seemed puzzled for a moment, as he tilted his head to the side, but soon enough, he spoke up. "I've never met her, Mother, but her name's Medusa…I thought you knew that." He then said to me in his own childhood accent. "She's the medical student down the street…" I fought hard not to show that I had been surprised slightly. "I thought you two talked?"

"W-we do," I said to him quickly with another smile. "I was just making sure you knew that." I then whispered before leaning over to kiss him on the cheek. "Now, run along." I stood up and turned him around to give him a light push and then watched him leave with a wave. But I wasn't satisfied with what I learned, so I walked forward and left the bathroom and turned right down the hall. I made my way over to the nearest window slowly and set my hands on the windowsill to watch my "son" run over to a tall and skinny child with light purple colored hair. 'So that's Chrona…' I thought to myself as I saw Soul run up to him and walk away from the yard. I went to walk away, but suddenly I saw a hand in front of my face snap.

The world around me came crashing down and I was me again and not Roselin. I wasn't in the bathroom anymore either…I was…in the dining area right in front of our table with my hands down on the edge like I had my hands on the windowsill. Black*Star was the one to snap in my face and instead of concerned stares, they were now giving me confused stares.

"Dude…Maka what the hell?"

"Sleepwalking?" Tsubaki pondered quietly; receiving a shake of the head from Liz.

"No…She couldn't have been asleep, she was in the bathroom for like five minutes."

"But her eyes…she looked like she was in some sorta trance,"

Black*Star laughed and eyed me with a grin. "Oh, so were you put under some sorta spell while taking a shi—"

"What we all mean to say Maka," Liz interrupted as Tsubaki shoved a piece of bread down his throat. "What the hell was wrong with you?" I sat down with a lifted brow and set the napkin back onto my lap. "You walked out of the bathroom and began making your way back over as if there was nothing around you. You almost killed that waiter over there because you didn't even acknowledge the fact that he was walking towards you with a bunch of wine glasses in his hands." I went to look but she kept talking so that caught my interest even more. "When you got over here, it looked like you were trying to see something but your eyes looked so lifeless…like you weren't even here,"

"I wasn't," I said in response; causing all of them to fall silent. "I…I was Roselin…in the mansion…" I then muttered out, this time, making them look at each other as if trying to find out if they heard the same thing. "I was…watching Soul run off with a friend…outside the window." They all stared at me as I looked at the nearest window with a distant gaze. And if my belief was correct, they were about to say something, so I faced them again and smiled. "But, that's all in the past, let's eat!"

I hadn't realized that the whole restaurant was watching me…

"Hey, Maka."

A fork dropped and our surroundings were quiet enough for it to be heard throughout the whole restaurant. I think I saw Wes and Natalie eye us from their table, but my attention was quickly drawn over to Black*Star, who sat across from me. For some reason he had a somber look on his face as he stared at the bread in his hand, but soon, he looked up with a smile.

"I was thinking…" He began as he set the bread down; the people all around us finally beginning to make noise again. Guess my "sleepwalking" nonsense was already forgotten…"You can still see soul's right?" He then asked me in an inside voice—which by the way, kinda surprised me…I, nonetheless, responded with a nod. "So that means you've been able to see Soul's soul." I nodded again…though I wasn't sure what he was getting at. "So that means you're familiar with his presence…you say you can sense when he's nearby…so why not be able to sense him when he's far away…like some kind of…Soul Radar!"

_'Now' _he was being loud…but for once…he _'did'_ make a little sense…

"That's actually a great idea, Black*Star!" Kid said as he set his fork down as well. He gave him a huge grin as he turned his body to look at me. "Maybe you should try and concentrate…" Kid then said to me in his naturally calm voice. "Maybe you'll find out his exact location." I saw him give me one of his symmetrical smiles and then look at everyone else at the table. "What do you think?" He then asked them. They all nodded in agreement and once more, all eyes were on me. "Why don't you give it a try right now?"

"Ok…" I said to him with a nod. Then, as I sat down in my seat, I shut my eyes and took a deep breath. I was sure it would be just like looking at a soul when it came to being concentrated, but I was sure the process would be much more different. With my eyes still shut, I could feel Black*Star's soul, in front of me, shift a little to his right. He had moved within his seat to get more comfortable no doubt. But that was a soul nearby…I needed to see if I could find out where Soul was. I pushed my mind beyond the restaurant and I sensed the soul that belonged to Jacqueline O'lantern Dupree…she was Kim's best friend and roommate while in college. I could see that they were in their dorm doing work together…maybe studying or maybe even just gossiping…who knew…

Still…they weren't who I was looking for.

The next furthest soul I was familiar with was my mother's. She had already left and was in a small town a few miles away from the city. From what I could see…she was taking a bath maybe…or lying down in a bathtub. Either one…but I think the first choice was more logical. Finally, there was no one I found familiar for miles upon miles! I believe I found myself somewhere in the middle of the desert...surrounded by ancient looking pillars and statues…There was a building…I didn't know the details of it…but I knew it was there. And inside there were two souls I found familiar. One was pure evil and the other was…

_"Don't stick your nose in other people's business, Maka-Chan~"_

"Wha—" Suddenly some kind of force pushed against me and I was thrown back in my seat; hitting the person who was dining behind me and causing them to spill their drink all over themselves. I had also kicked our table up, so all the extra bread we got flew everywhere while all our drinks toppled over and drenched Black*Star and Liz's pants... I was blown away, confused and scared all at the same time from what I had just seen, and as Tsubaki helped me stand, I could tell she saw it all in my expression. None of them said a word… "M-Medusa…she…I think she knew I was trying to—b-but how did she know—"

"First you sleepwalk and cause a lot of commotion," Said the man I had caused to get a wine stain on his white shirt. We all looked at him as he rose from his seat and turned to face me with a grumpy stare. "And then you do _'this'_?" He held a hand up to his shirt and kept his glare strong while I realized who exactly this man was. He was a very famous food critic…and I just ruined his meal... "I'm going to have a word with you, young lady…"

It was going to be a long night…

* * *

**Ciao **– Hello

**Va Bene **– Okay

**Non del tutto **– Not Quite

**Scusa/Scusa, ma… **– Sorry/Sorry, but…

**Sí **– Yes


	12. Visions

_Destroying a Perfect Soul_

_Chapter 12: Visions_

_"I saw a vision of Soul this morning..."_

_"And he...He looked like he wanted to kill me..."_

* * *

The room was cold the next morning. I felt it as soon as my eyes opened. Usually around this time of year I'd be warm while lying in bed. But, now it was different because Soul wasn't there to put his arms around me and keep me safe from the cold. My lip twitched from the thought of his kisses, and I sat up to pull the blankets away. I then reached up with my right hand and rubbed the sleepiness from my eyes. Though, instead of waking up to a peaceful silence, I heard something…What was that? I looked at the bedroom door and furrowed my brows in thought.

The shower..?

Odd…Was I just hearing things? I pulled the blanket away from my body and I swung my legs around to put my feet on the floor. For a moment it was cold, but the shock passed by and I was on my way to the door to leave the room. As it opened, I looked at the bathroom door and watched for a moment. The shower was still running…so maybe I wasn't imagining it? I still doubted it was real though…maybe another sign, possibly? With narrow eyes, I walked out of the room and made my way over to the bathroom where the shower was apparently "running". How was it even possible? Last I checked the front door was locked…Blair didn't know how to open doors on her own and I was sure the windows were all shut. Not only that, but the apartment was about five to six stories high!

"Hello?" I spoke in a light whisper as I opened the door to the bathroom. I could still hear the shower, but for some reason there was no steam. It felt warm but there was no steam—no sign at all that the shower was even on. Once more I narrowed my eyes and left the door wide open as I made my way over to the curtain. There was no clothes on the floor…there was nothing around that told me an actual person was there…and yet, the shower continued to run. "Hello?" I called out again this time a bit louder, as I reached for the end of the curtain. With a quick gulp, I pulled it aside and revealed what was inside the shower…

Empty. And the water…wasn't even running. Along with that…the sound left my ears and everything was quiet again…

Blinking, and actually a little disappointed, I dropped my hand and stared at the tile in front of me. Of course there was no one there…and of course it was really nothing. I've been paranoid, hallucinating things, day dreaming while actually walking. I've been thrown into a teenager's soul, tortured by sight and practically thrown around by Medusa's mysterious "Force". I was going crazy…insane maybe? No…insane was probably too much. But definitely a little paranoid and crazy…I threw a coffee pot at an innocent girl for goodness sake.

An innocent girl that Medusa ordered Eruka to abduct for her own little mind games…

My eyes found themselves looking at the ground for only a moment. I looked back up took a deep breath and turned around to leave…but in the mirror, something completely different was in the shower: something that caused me to scream at the top of my lungs. It was Soul. He stood there, the water running, soaked through his suit and his hair hanging in his face. There was blood running from his forehead and down to his chin and his shark toothed smile was so demonic…so crooked…that…he looked like he was going to kill me! The sight only came to my attention for a second since I had fallen to the ground and covered my eyes. It was frightening…it was _'terrifying'_! Never in my life had I seen Soul look at me like that…He looked insane…crazy…as if he was going to enjoy ripping me to shreds. But why would Soul even _'think'_ of doing that to me? And more importantly…

Why was his blood...black?

* * *

"Illusions…or Visions?"

I nodded to Liz as she trimmed her own hair in the mirror in front of her since she had no clients to work on. After my response she lifted a brow and set the scissors down to turn and face me. "Why are you asking me this?" She then asked me with her thin brow still up high. I had rushed over as soon as I saw the vision of Soul in the mirror. I hadn't told her what I saw, but all I had asked when I arrived was if she had seen anything too. But…from the look on her face…maybe she hadn't. "Maka? What's going on? Why do you need to know—"

"I saw a vision of Soul this morning." I simply told her; my eyes darting to the floor as quick as possible. "And He…" I paused to take a gulp of whatever was left in my mouth, that had suddenly felt dry and I held my hands together tightly. "He looked like he wanted to kill me…" I couldn't see her face, but I could tell she had been surprised…she had gasped, and since Patty had been listening, her silly whistling had stopped and they were both completely silent.

"You know," Both Liz and I looked over to Patty as she began to speak; a finger on her chin as she thought. "The other day…on Tuesday, I think…" Trailing off, she looked our way with a small smile and pointed in the direction of the store's entrance. "I totally thought I saw him walk by." She then said; causing my eyes to widen slightly. Could Soul really send signs to them too…? "I was like "WHOA!" and I ditched mah client and ran outside screamin' "SOUL-KUN! SOUL-KUN!" But he wasn't out there! So…all I got was a bunch of funneh stares!" After that she cracked up into her usual laughter as Liz turned to face me again.

"Now that I think about it…" She began; catching my attention almost immediately. I looked away from the laughing Thompson sister and saw Liz smiling lightly as she picked up a comb to brush her hair out a little. "I haven't seen any "illusions" or "visions" but…" I saw her eyes shift within the mirror and I saw that she had been looking at the pedicure seats where people would sit for massages and pedis. "I can't help but keep thinking about the day you dragged Soul in here to get a massage while you were getting your toe nails done. It was cute~ His face was so pink, I wanted to pinch his cheeks! I would have taken him home with me if you hadn't owned him." She let out a soft laugh as I smiled lightly in her direction. Then I saw her shrug and eye me again. "Sorry…but that's all that's been…out of the ordinary for me…I don't normally think about that…"

"It's ok…" I breathed with a small sigh as I stepped away from the two sisters. "I think I'll go ask the others…" I then said with a wave to them both. I saw them wave back as I made my way out of their workplace and once the nail polish smell disappeared and I was outside, I took in a deep breath and shut my eyes. Patty saw a vision, but Liz didn't…All she did was think about him…a lot. Did that mean anything? Maybe not…it was just two of them out of the other five besides Soul and I. Maybe if the other three saw something…I would probably have to ask them just like I had asked Liz and Patty.

The same way…every time I ask…

It was the simplest way possible…

So…I decided to go to Kid first. He and Black*Star were in the same building, yes, but he was closer to the entrance than the gym was. So, asking Kid _'then'_ Black*Star would be much quicker than the other way around. "Visions?" Kid asked me after he let his students go to get into groups for some kind of worksheet. He eyed me for a moment with curious golden eyes before he had set a finger on his chin to think about it. Knowing him he probably did see anything t all…he and Soul weren't necessarily close, but they were still good friends…Let's just say they weren't as close as he and Black*Star were….that was for sure. But that still wouldn't make much sense for the sisters because only one of them saw a vision of him…he knew one as much as he knew the other…he wasn't better friends with Patty than he was Liz…or was he? …What in the world did '_I_' miss?

"Hmm…let's see," Kid's voice brought me back from my thoughts and I saw that he was done thinking. "Well, I haven't seen any of these so called "visions" but…" As he trailed off, I let out a silent sigh. Like I had expected…no vision at all… "As you know, Patty throws a game night at the mansion every Monday night and it's always Black*Star, Soul, and her that play." I nodded to him as we both sat down; he at his desk and me in an extra chair from nearby. Then, he continued. "Well…last Monday Patty wasn't really willing to do it, but Black*Star convinced her to. So when he came over…I prepared some drinks for them like always and set each cup down onto the coffee table…" His eyes narrowed as I wondered where he was going with his story, but soon he spoke up again. "It wasn't until I was about to leave that I had noticed I had prepared three drinks instead of two…as if…Soul was still there…"

Ah…so that's what it was… "I see…" I breathed out; narrowing my eyes as well. It was the same case as Liz…Just as she was thinking about him, Kid had subconsciously brought an extra drink to the living room when as if he had been thinking about Soul without even realizing it… "Well…thank you…" I then said to him as I stood up from the chair and put it back aside. I had already told him the story about my vision with Soul…he had been mortified…he wanted to tell me everything was going to be fine, but I had already said… "What Soul feels, is what Soul feels…it's not my choice or my decision when it comes to his feelings for me…"

Because obviously, Soul hated me now…because I haven't saved him in time…He wants to kill me…because I have failed him…

"Maka,"

Snapping back into reality, I saw that I had been standing in the same place for awhile and Kid and his students had been watching me. "Your eyes," Kid breathed out as I looked up to him; his own eyes wide in puzzlement. "They…they looked so lifeless…I thought…" He seemed to gulp down a lump in his throat. "W-_'We'_ thought…that we had lost you for a moment…"

"I'm fine," I said in my defense as I took a step back. "R-Really," I then told him; trying not to look into his golden eyes anymore. He seemed to not believe what I had said, but I was going to keep going and get over to Black*Star before anything else happened. I opened the classroom door and began making my way down the hall and in the direction of where the very man worked. I knew Kid was worried…but he needed to stop…It was either my paranoia saying this or it was the "insanity" …but…they all needed to stop and worry about something other than me for once.

I opened the gym doors and looked into the large room to see if I could see the blue haired man or even…maybe Jamie… For a moment I didn't see anything, but once I heard the light noise of talking and a basketball bouncing I took another step in and looked over to where I couldn't see at first. The whole gym was empty but for two people: Black*Star—who I was looking for—and Tsubaki—which was convenient, but…also made me a little curious… She was sitting on the bleachers as she was telling him something that was obviously making him smile while he bounced the ball. Though as I looked around, I began to wonder where his students went…it was second period…wasn't it?

"Oh! Hey, Maka!"

Tearing my eyes away from a random spot in the gym, I looked over to the couple from the doorway. Looks like they had spotted me… "H-hello," I muttered out as I stepped away from the hall to go walk over to the two by the bleachers. As I did so, Black*Star had dribbled the ball again a few times before shooting it towards the basket. It swished in the net and he gave Tsubaki a high-five that was surprised didn't break her fragile hand… "Uh…where're your students…?" I asked him as I sat down next to my best friend on the bleachers. He set his eyes on me and gave me a smile.

"Second period prep for all P.E teachers," He told me with a shrug. Then he gestured over to Tsubaki with his head and set his hands on his hips. "Since I don't have a class, Tsubaki usually comes to see me." He then said to me; causing me to look in the other woman's direction. On her tan colored shirt she had a visitor's pass that had her name printed in it in her handwriting. "So…What brings _'you' _here then?" I heard him ask me as I stared at the square yellow pass next to me.

"Oh…" I turned my head to look at the P.E teacher again. "Well…" My eyes narrowed and I tried not to remember all of the details of the vision I had that morning. "Uh…well…this morning…I…Uh," Black*Star crossed his arms as I stuttered out my words while looking down. A hand—obviously belonging to Tsubaki—was set on my own. I knew she could tell this was a bit upsetting… "I saw a vision of Soul…and I wanted to know if…you guys saw anything too?"

"A vision?" Black*Star asked me curiously with one brow lifted. I nodded to him and waited for him to think about it. He looked up to the ceiling and hummed something to himself as I saw Tsubaki in the corner of my eyes begin to think as well. "Well…yesterday on the way home from work, I walked by the old basketball courts where we used to play all the time." He said to me to get my attention one hundred percent on him. "And…I thought I saw Soul shooting hoops by himself…but, when I did a double take…" He fell silent and finally looked down to me again. "It turned out to be a kid with a similar hair cut, but totally different hair color…I don't know how I got Soul 'outta it…"

"A date…"

Black*Star and I both looked at Tsubaki as she thought about the subject at hand. Looks like she had remembered something, but what exactly was it…? We both lifted our brows as she looked at us and lightly smiled. "The other night when I was at work I saw something too." She told us; making Black*Star and I exchange looks. "It was a sweet moment…I almost thought it was real." Her eyes narrowed and fell to the gym floor as she thought about it a little more. "It was as if the two of you were on a date at my restaurant…I thought he had come home and you were celebrating alone…and I was about to go say something but, the table ended up being empty as soon as I left the kitchen."

"Interesting…" I muttered as I looked away from her and over to the side of the gym. The only people who saw visions of him out of our group were me, Patty, Black*Star and Tsubaki. And the ones that only thought about him were Kid and Liz. Why would 2 out of the 6 of us only _'think' _about him? He was just as friends with Liz and Kid as he was Tsubaki and Patty. I could understand Black*Star and I because we were both his best friends…not to mention he loved me…but he had pretty much an equal relationship with both the sisters, Tsubaki and Kid. It didn't make any sense.

I frowned and let out a long outtake of breath. Man did my head hurt. "Ok…well…" I stepped away from the bleachers and rubbed the top of my head with my right hand. "My head is starting to hurt a little so…" My hand fell to my side and I waved them both off before turning around. "I'll be on my way, see ya."

"See ya, Maka…"

* * *

As soon as I got home I heard the house phone going off. I shut the door, hung my sweatshirt up and made my way over to the counter where the phone should have been charging. But as soon as I did, I realized that I had thrown the phone across the room last time I used it. I panicked as soon as that realization hit me and I turned to look around for it. I stepped over the glass on the ground and moved the fallen chair to the side; thinking the phone would be under that. But it wasn't, so I kept fallowing the sound and made my into the living room. The sound was coming from behind the T.V, so I knelt down and reached my hand into the space between the wall and he entertainment system; finally touching the house phone with my hands. I picked it up and looked at the caller ID, and as soon as I read it, I ran into the kitchen for better service and pressed the answer button to speak to the very man that was once my science teacher. "Hello?" I said into the speaker. "S-Stein?"

_"Yes, Maka…" _I heard him say from the other side of the line. _"I was able to contact the prison Medusa was put into."_

"And?"

There was silence on the other end for awhile and I could already feel myself shaking. Why did I have the feeling I wasn't going to like what I was about to hear. "_Medusa, escaped from the prison the Thursday before Soul's kidnapping." _My eyes widened as soon as he spoke these words. That…that was 3 days before the kidnapping. 3_ 'days'_! How...Why…No… _"Not only did she escape." _He continued since I hadn't spoken in awhile. "_She seemed to bring someone along with her. A prisoner named Free. He was found missing Thursday evening along with Medusa."_

"So that means…She really does have Soul…" I breathed to myself as I stared out the kitchen window with wide green eyes. Stein seemed to keep talking but I already knew what I wanted to know. So, I hung up and set the phone down on it's charger. So…that vision I saw when I touched Rachel was real, and Medusa had actually been torturing Soul this whole time. An unwanted tear slipped by and I quickly wiped it away. I needed to find out where she was keeping him! When I tried to find his soul, I found a building somewhere in the middle of the desert. I needed to get there as soon as possible, but I had no idea where it was!

_-"What does this have to do with your disappearance?" I asked him as politely as I could. I didn't want to seem rude. "It almost sounds like your saying Soul was the one who disappeared."_

_"Ah, that was only the beginning…" Wes told me; still looking out the window. Then, he let out a soft sigh and looked down to the ground near the coffee table. "Since I hadn't found him in his room, I decided to keep looking. I hadn't told anyone to walk with me, so I was alone…" His eyes shut again and he held his hands together; letting out a soft laugh. "Silly me…I hadn't realized that he had gone to school…I didn't realize it was Monday morning. So, I was foolish to walk outside by myself and walk up to the hill where he usually sat to think. He wasn't there, and by the time I finally remembered of his school…someone had snuck up behind me and knocked me out cold." As soon as I let out a gasp, he looked back up and at me. "By the time I woke up, I was in the very lair that belonged to my kidnaper. The woman who had killed our parents…"_

_"Medusa?"_

_"Correct."-_

"That's right!" I snapped as I looked up from the ground. "Wes had escaped from this so called "lair"…so he probably knows how to find it!" I then said as I grabbed the phone again to go through the past calls. I finally found Wes's number and pressed the call button before holding up to my ear to listen to the slow and almost agonizing ringing as I waited. I almost lost hope….that maybe he wasn't going to answer, or maybe it really wasn't his number. But as soon as the thenth ring went by, it clicked and the very man I wanted to contact spoke up.

_"Hello?"_

"Wes!" I called out happily with a smile, even though he couldn't see it. "It's me Maka," I then told him as soon as I could so he wouldn't be left to wonder for too long. I heard him say something like "how are you" after I had said that to him, and with another smile, I answered. "I'm fine," I simply said as I turned around and eyed the broken glass all over the ground. "Can…can we meet up somewhere and…talk about some things regarding…Medusa and…well…pretty much everything…? I have some questions I want to ask you…"

_"Yes…why don't you come by tomorrow whenever you'd like."_

"Thank you…"


	13. Questions Answered

_Destroying a Perfect Soul_

_Chapter 13: Questions Answered_

_"It felt like some kind of wolf or savage dog had bit into my arm,"_

_"I could hear the flesh and muscle being torn into pieces…"_

_"…along with my heart and soul."_

* * *

The next morning I was a little frightened that I hadn't felt anything or seen anything that could have represented Soul's feelings. It was probably just her new "Soul Tampering" abilities getting put to work and blocking out his messages from reaching me…or maybe… he hadn't contacted me because Medusa had finally killed him… I stared down into the sink with wide eyes as I watched my hands shake; the toothpaste falling off the end of the brush and onto the dry drain. 'Relax Maka…' I thought to myself as I lifted the toothbrush back up to keep scrubbing my teeth with it. 'It's like…Medusa just grounded him and took his cell phone away so he can't text me…that's all…'

I paused and spit into the sink. If those "reassuring" words were supposed to help me…they didn't work…at all. I could only imagine what his text messages would be like if that was really the case.

_'Maka help medusa's crazy!'_

_'I miss u. _:(_ '_

_'This iz not cool _:[_ '_

_'2 l8 2 save me…Im dead _:/_ '_

_'U let me down Maka _:'(_ '_

_'Not cool _:[_ '_

"Geez, shut up!" I yelled loudly as I clapped my hands over my ears and shut my eyes. I knew that I let him down, but did I have to really remind myself of that fact with every little thing I think of? Opening my eyes again, I tossed the toothbrush into the cup on the small counter and turned to leave, but Blair stood in the doorway and looked up at me with curious yellow eyes; examining my hoodless blue sweatshirt that belonged to Soul once, my black pants and black boots…Maybe she had eyed my low pony tail that fell over my right shoulder…? No…she was looking me in the eye. She was hungry.

Letting out a sigh, I stepped over the cat and made my way over to the drawer that had her food in it. I pulled that out, filled her bowl and put it back before walking over to the counter to look into the basket Tsubaki had bought Soul and I for organizing our keys. Though it didn't help much since there were pens and papers scattered about it in it too… It took me a second to find the keys I had been looking for. The keys that hadn't been touched since the end of senior year…_'His'_ keys…for the motorcycle…

Well…the only time Soul had touched it since graduation, would have to be the many times he actually got off his lazy ass to clean the damn thing…by hand. It was the only thing he _'liked'_ doing that was a chore. Other than that, he played ball with Black*Star, watched the games on T.V and just watched T.V in general. Oh yeah…then there was game night at Kid's every Monday night…

Locking the front door behind me, I let out a sigh and stuffed the apartment keys in my pockets. Then, with the motorcycle's keys in hand, I made my way over to the stairs, walked down them—saying hello to passing neighbors—and finally found myself at the street. Turning right, into the alleyway where Soul always parked his bike…though it was covered with a large white sheet and secluded in the shadows to my far left. I took a step forward towards it but stopped and looked at the garbage cans to my right. Those were the same exact cans that Soul had knocked over that day he…was almost shot…

_-Shaking my head, I turned around to run up the stairs and call someone to help. But I stopped just as I was facing the other direction. He wasn't kidnapped like I thought…and he wasn't shot either. He was just sitting down on the ground and leaning on the alley wall; staring at the wall on the other side with wide, shocked and yet still lifeless crimson eyes._

_"Soul?"_

_Stepping over a couple more broken eggs, I made my way over and knelt down beside him. I then set a hand on his shoulder and shook him a bit. Blinking, he came out of his daze and looked at me without moving his head too much. "Oh…it's Maka…" He then whispered mostly to himself. His eyes then fell to the ground. "I dropped the eggs…waste of money huh?"_

_"Soul what happened out here?" I asked him; eyeing the fallen garbage can next to him. So that sound that I heard before the gunshot was him getting attacked… "I-I heard a gunshot Soul!" I gasped. "Are you ok? What happened?" Soul blinked again and rose his head to look at the garbage can for a moment. He then looked at the sidewalk and pointed with a shaking finger. I followed his finger to where he was pointing and saw that it was just the area that he was pointing at, not a specific thing._

_"There…" Soul began. "Someone attacked me right there." He dropped his hand and looked at the garbage again. "They pushed me into this can and pointed a gun in my face…but they didn't say a word." I looked at him as his eyes narrowed. "They shot the gun…though even at the close range, they missed me and ran off. They were wearing a hood so I didn't see their face…but the way they held that gun, I could tell it was a woman." His eyes began to shake like mine had only moments before. "The same hands…as…as _'her's'___ …the one who killed…"_

_As his voice began to choke up, I set a hand on his shoulder. "Soul…just breath ok."-_

I shook my head and tore my eyes away from the garbage to make my way over to the bike. Then, with a quick gesture I pulled the dusty sheet off of the bike and tossed it aside. It looked clean, but he hadn't cleaned it for 2 months…and that was proven as soon as I ran my finger across the seat's surface. Dust was on my finger in an instant. "Geez…" I said as I wiped it on my black sweatpants. Then, without any further-a-do, I got on the seat and shoved the key into the ignition. Turning it, the bike roared to life and was ready to go. I was relieved to see that it actually worked after not being used for so long…though it probably needed gas…I'd have to go get some soon…

Oh…and yes, I knew how to drive the death machine Soul called a motorcycle. He was nice enough to teach me during senior year.

* * *

Wes's home was beautiful. It was part of the outskirts of the other side of the city…surrounded by the wood that spread across the land. It looked almost like a cabin in the middle of the forest…big and brown, cozy looking patio furniture on the porch and a small wooden fountain in the bushes in front. Wes owned a car that was parked on the side of the house and was protected by anything that could fall from the sky by a wooden overhang that matched the house. There were leaves on the roof and ground but all in all the outside looked like a cozy ski resort in the middle of the woods.

The inside…as soon as I was there…was different. It still brought that cozy feeling, but the living room had one couch and a large arm chair around a coffee table and flat screen T.V. The floor was wooden—dark mahogany—and the walls had a light beige color to it…The dining room was seen straight ahead and the kitchen was to the left of the front door. I swear to god that kitchen was _'the dream' _kitchen. It had a lot of space, marble counters, large sink, electric stove, one of those new spacey fridges…it had _'everything'_! And from there the bedroom's door was straight ahead from walking into the kitchen and to the right was the dining room again and the sliding glass doors to the back yard; which just looked like a forest…

And it was all pretty much separated by a wall in between the kitchen and living room. I guess the house—besides the bedroom—kinda looked like a capital "I" …

"Ciao, Maka~" Natalie said happily as she brought in a drink for me while I sat down on the couch in the living room. It seemed to have some kind of spice in it, but it did taste good. "Secret family recipe for tea, that is," She told me with a proud smile as soon as I made the strange face I did as a reaction. I smiled as she lightly laughed and looked over to her left; causing me to look as well. "Oh, Il mio tesoro," She said happily as Wes entered the room; fixing the collar to his white dress shirt. "Look, look! Maka came to visit~!"

"Ah…that's right," Wes said with a smile as he approached the both of us. "You needed to ask me a few things," I nodded before taking another drink as he gave his wife a kiss on the cheek and then sat down in the big arm chair across from me and a little to the right. As he did that, the Italian woman made her way out of the room slowly and into the kitchen. "So…what exactly did you have in mind?"

I set down the drink on the coffee table and looked up into his red eyes; setting both my hands in my lap. "Well…there's a couple things I want to discuss…" I then said to him as he did just about the same. He blinked once, then nodded and leaned back a little to listen. "Well…first, I want to know more about the child Soul was friends with. You said you knew who they were…but not the parent's right? But you know it was Medusa correct?"

Wes nodded. "Yes. The mother of that young boy was certainly Medusa." He then said to me; shutting his eyes to think. "I saw her maybe once or twice—same amount as Soul saw her during their friendship. But I saw her…more up close. So that's probably the reason Soul hadn't recognized her while the two of you were still in school. She had blond hair, a braid in the front, yellow eyes and I believe she went to medical school around the time." There was silence between the two of us for a moment before he had opened his eyes again and shrugged. "That's all I know. I don't even know if she was married or not, neither of us saw a ring nor a husband."

"Alright…" I breathed with a nod and serious expression. "Then…what about Chrona: Soul's friend?"

"Ah…that's an easy one," He said to me with a light smile as Natalie came in again with another drink; that one probably for him. "They met one day when Soul snuck out of the house to get a good look of the city." He then told me as his wife handed him the drink and a quick lip exchange before leaving again. "They met in the park, and even though Chrona was a mental breakdown waiting to happen, Soul thought he'd make a "cool" friend. He may have wondered how to do things all the time, but Soul was able to help…and Chrona was still pretty fearless under that shaking skin of his."

"What kinds of things did they do together?"

"Simple things," Wes answered as a matter of fact like. "They went to the park and played tag; every once in awhile bringing in a few kids that had been there as well." He then told me as I took another sip of the drink. Looks like Chrona may have looked like a scaredy cat…but was he really? "He and Soul would even pull pranks on people sometimes…I don't remember what they were, but one day Soul had done something with the boy that had upset our mother. She was going to have a talk with him about it but once she saw Soul's tears she let it off as a warning."

Wait…that sounded a lot like that strange dream I had Wednesday morning at Kid's house…

_-"Mother!" I heard Soul call out in the accent he once had. As I hit my head, a thump so the floor was sounded and I felt the little boy take the side of my—No…Roselin's—nightgown in his hands. "Mother what's wrong?" I heard him then ask me as I continued on hitting myself and pulling at the long white hair that sat upon my head. "Please stop hitting yourself! You're scaring me!" I fell to my knees and dropped my hands into my lap; realizing it was nearly hopeless. Soul's small hands were set on my arm and on reflex, I looked up into his large young eyes…only to see that he had been crying. "If…if you were…g-gunna come t-talk to me about Chrona…I-I'm sorry! I'll s-stop hanging out with him—I swear!"-_

Since I had fallen silent and had asked no questions, the eldest Evans brother continued. "Chrona was an odd looking boy. He had very uneven and messy purple hair and violet eyes." He then said as I looked away from the floor and back into his eyes. "For a boy his age, he was very skinny and had very long legs, but was still around the same height as my little brother. Soul always teased him for wearing dresses, but Chrona would always say it was a robe…it was a typical relationship between two young boys."

"But they didn't do anything dangerous?" I asked him as soon as he had fallen silent again. He lifted a brow as he took a drink of his tea and I pointed to my chest. "What about the scar?" I then said to him; causing him to finally understand what I meant. "If they didn't do anything dangerous, how in the world did the scar turn up? Was it a different friend that did it?"

Wes set the drink down and shook his head. "No, No, it was definitely Chrona who had done it." He then told me as his head straightened again; his left hand fixing his hair a little. "Soul thought it would be funny as to steal away with our family's weapon and help Chrona take his as well. They both thought it would be fun to mess around and fight with them like some sort of sword fight. Though, Scythe vs. Sword isn't very likely to be a "sword fight". After the mess I asked Soul what had happened and he said that Chrona never had wanted to do it in the first place…He pressured him into it and, in the middle of their "not so professional" fight, Soul had slipped in some mud as Chrona was swinging his sword, and…you know what happens next."

"And I assume Roselin and Sosano were furious?"

He nodded. "Very furious." He then answered. "Since Father didn't care very much, Mother was the worst…and it was terrifying to see her in such a fit of rage," My head tilted to the side a little as he continued. "She was such a kind woman and I had never seen her so angry in my life. It was so frightening to see a foreign emotion on her face when she saw the condition Soul was in…She wouldn't even tell me what she and Father were planning on doing to Chrona and his family about it."

"Mess with a Mama Eagle's chicks…" I breathed as I looked down. "And your definitely gunna get some claw in your face."

"Agreed."

Again, there was a long silence between us, and the only thing that I could hear was the shuffling of Natalie's feet in the kitchen, and the small fountain in the yard, through the open window. "Is…is that it?" I finally asked him after the long period of time we hadn't spoken. I saw him nod as he reached for his drink for another sip. "Ok then…so the second thing I wanted to talk about," I then began; taking a drink of my own tea. He lifted a brow and the both of us set down the drinks at the same time while I then leaned in a little with a bit of seriousness in my look.

"Where did Medusa keep you?"

* * *

"Alright, Wes, now explain to Shinigami-Sama the same thing you said to me."

After the information Wes had told me about what he remembered about being taken, I had quickly gone to Shinigami-Sama with Wes at my side. I knew Shinigami-Sama was looking for Soul, but I didn't think they knew where to look. So…I wanted Wes to tell him what he knew.

"Well, as we all already may know," Wes began from beside me shortly after I had spoken; My Papa and Shinigami-Sama both listening carefully. "You have a search team scouting the area and searching for Soul's whereabouts." The Shinigami and my Papa both nodded. "But…they don't know exactly where to go, correct?" The two in front of us nodded to him again and he shut his eyes once more. "Well, from what I can remember, Medusa had taken me from my own home nearly three years prior to the event of her attack on my little brother. During her time undercover at Shibusen, a group of innocent people found me within an ancient looking building in the middle of the desert. They had been researchers—trying to discover the secrets of such a building…and they came across me…I know where to find them…you can send your search team to question them about the whereabouts of Medusa's "secret lair"…"

Shinigami-Sama was silent for a moment before looking to his right, where each member of his Search team stood. It wasn't just any regular search team though…he had called them his "elite" search team. His "special" group…the best of the best: Stein, Marie, Yumi, Sid and Nygus…also…my Papa. "Well…I would ask them to go investigate, but…" As Shinigami-Sama trailed off and looked back at Wes and I, the holes in his mask narrowed. "But we don't know for sure if Medusa is even keeping Soul there as well—"

"May I speak?"

Everyone in the Death Room looked at me as I held up my right hand about shoulder height. The principal, and mayor of Death City, looked at me for a moment before finally nodding. My hand fell back to my side and I nodded in return."On Wednesday of this week, my friends and I were at a restaurant together, and one of them mentioned my abilities to see souls." I began as they watched me take a step closer to the Shinigami. "He asked if I could also locate them like some sort of radar." I fell silent, looked at my Papa and then Shinigami-Sama again. "I tried doing the very thing and I found myself looking at two familiar souls in the middle of nowhere—In a building in the desert. One soul belonged to Medusa—without a doubt—and the other was definitely Soul's!"

"So you're trying to tell me…"

"That if you could just go look and see first—then come back—you could save a little more trouble than just running in to save him and wind up being in the wrong place at the wrong time."

Shinigami-Sama looked at me for a moment before turning his large body in the direction of his search team. "Stein-Kun~" He muttered; causing the teacher to look his way with a lifted brow. "Discuss with Wesu-Kun about the whereabouts of the Research team that found him." I began to put a smile on my face as my old teacher nodded and began making his way over to Wes and I. "Then, I want you all—including you, Spirit-kun—to go to this "Ancient" building and make sure Soul-kun is there…when you find out whether he is or not, come back and let me know."

"Yes, sir"

After the group nodded and as Wes and Stein discussed where the Research team was, Shinigami-Sama looked at me again and seemed to be a little more cheerful than earlier. "Maka-Chan~" He said to get my attention, which I responded by looking his way again. "If he is there, I will send some back up to help out…though I would really much prefer that you make the decision on how he is rescued."

"R-Really?" I asked with a lifted brow; both slightly confused but very happy at the same time. He nodded to me with a close of his eyes and I smiled brightly. "Wow! Thank you so much Shinigami-Sama!" I then said to him before turning around to make my way out of the Death Room and over to the stairs. On my way to the steps down to the guillotine hall, I paused and looked at Wes as he spoke to Stein. "Wes, thank you for your help." I said to him with a smile. His own crimson colored eyes shining, he smiled back and nodded.

"Your welcome."

Finally…we were one step closer to finding Soul.

* * *

**Ciao** – Hello

**Il Mio Tesoro** – My darling


	14. Save his ass, Damn it

_Destroying a Perfect Soul_

_Chapter 14: Save his ass, Damn it_

_"It felt like some kind of wolf or savage dog had bit into my arm,"_

_"I could hear the flesh and muscle being torn into pieces…"_

_"…along with my heart and soul."_

* * *

_The screaming lifted into the air as soon as I found myself in Roselin's body again. I was standing on the porch outside of the mansion…in the front, my now crimson colored eyes facing the direction of the street. As soon as I realized what was happening, I cringed at the horrific noise and looked to my right in hopes I could find the source. "What…is that…Soul?" I breathed to myself as the screaming continued from down the street. As the front door opened, I pushed away from the railing and made my way over to the steps that led to the front yard. _

_"Mother, is that—"_

_"Soul? I don't know!" I yelled back from hearing Wes's voice behind me. Why did it seem so natural to be here all of a sudden? Was it because I wanted to see if this happening was the day Soul got hurt? Even if that wasn't the case, I still needed to see what was happening. …Why did I suddenly feel so…anguished? _

_"n-no…I-I'm so…S-sorry Soul—"_

_Making my way around the corner of the street, Wes and I found ourselves beside a grassy hill near a few buildings on the other side of the street. The skirt Roselin had been wearing that day flowed in the breeze as my eyes traced the area. The screaming had been silenced but I could see that it had been coming from over in the distance by a group of lone trees. There was a large scythe lying on the ground, a little purple haired boy shaking in fear as a sword lied on the ground next to him, and a woman crouching over a young boy lying in the grass…grass that had been stained crimson._

_Eyes widening, I suddenly felt furious._

_"Soul!" I screamed as I began to storm over in the direction of the three figures. The woman crouching down beside Roselin's son flinched and looked over her shoulder and I knew it was Medusa as soon as I looked into her eyes. "Get away from him!" I screamed without thinking; reaching down to grab the blond by the arm. As Wes caught up to help his little brother in any way he could, I threw Medusa aside with all the strength I could find and gave her a piercing glare. "Don't _'EVER' _touch him!"_

_Now…it seemed like I was just watching the scene before me…I couldn't control what I was even saying, I couldn't control what I was doing, what emotions my face was even projecting._

_I was now completely Roselin. I felt exactly what she felt as I kneeled down next to Wes and looked at the passed out boy lying in the bloody grass; his shirt torn to pieces and blood spilling out from the large cut across his chest. My eyes shook as I watched as Wes made sure he was still alive and began to call the police. Why didn't I—no—why didn't Roselin do anything about this? Was I in control again and didn't realize it?_

_Oh…here it comes…_

_"WHAT DID YOU DO?" I screamed without control as I stood up and turned around. Medusa, as she took Chrona's hand, flinched from the sudden yell and looked my way suddenly in what looked like fear. "WHAT DID YOU DO TO MY SON!"_

_"Mrs. Evans…I swear to you, I didn't do—"_

_My vision went blurry…I couldn't see the scene in front of me any longer. It had faded along with the sound of Medusa's shaking voice. My head suddenly began to hurt, but I felt like I was frozen; my body numb for no reason. Or maybe as if something had been holding me down by my arms and legs. I opened my eyes to find myself back to normal...but in a pit of darkness…a light shade of red to the surrounding area. Where was I now? Why was this happening? Why now of all times?_

_"They may have found me…but it won't help…"_

_I opened my mouth to respond but it felt like I was underwater. Bubbles rose passed my lips and lifted higher into the hellish sea as I sat still. Who was speaking to me and why were they able to speak when I couldn't? I tried to yell out again, though only a few bubbles came by again…and then, something grabbed my arm and I was jerked down even further into the dark abyss. My head snapped to my right as unknown bubbles passed and I saw that someone had been holding my arm. The long arm in the pin stripped sleeve pulled me further down, and soon I was face to face with the very man we had been looking for. His eyes narrowed and he smiled a deathly grin._

_"You're scared."_

_I shook my head at him as he spoke those words, But he kept that same terrifying smile on his face. His grip on my wrist tightened and I tried to call out to him to stop. Though, thinking that it wouldn't work anyway..it still did. "Stop!" I yelled; my body turning upright along with him. My feet touched the bottom of the vast sea and I realized it was tile…My eyes dropped down to our feet and I looked at the checkered pattern, then I looked up and around only to see black nothingness as if we were in some sort of dull spotlight._

_"You won't succeed…"_

_"Shut up!" I yelped as I looked into his bloody pooled eyes again. He squeezed my wrist again and I winced; my other hand being snatched up as well. I took a long exaggerated step back from him as he moved forward to get into my face; my eyes widening and my pupils shrinking in fear. I just needed to be calm…Soul was just trying to convince me that the rescue wasn't going to work. But it had to…I knew it had to!_

_"You're afraid of me…aren't you?"_

_"N-No. Of course not!" I shouted as his grin grew even more grim. He leaned in and brushed cheeks with me; his lips now only inches away from my ear. I could feel his breath on my skin, and it sent shivers down my spine. This had happened to me before but then he had been kind…then he was showing his feelings for me in his own unique way…but now…now he was just scaring me! "SOUL!" I screamed as he grabbed my head within both his hands and put pressure onto it. It hurt a lot…and I screamed out his name again as he tried to crush my skull with his very hands. I struggled to get away and I hit him in the back as many times as I could—though the pressure was killing me! _

_"…Yes, Maka?"_

_"S-STOP IT!" _

_"Why should I…?" Soul asked me in a cool voice as he put even more pressure onto my skull. I cried out his name again before finally letting my arms fall to my sides. My knees gave out and I fell to the floor as he held me up by the head; my eyes wide and staring upward. I couldn't take it any longer…had he…killed me yet? _

_"If I stop now, Maka…how will I kill you?"_

With a jump, I sat up in bed quickly and stared at the wall in front me: tense like I couldn't move anymore. My whole body shook and my skin tingled…though I couldn't even bare lift a limb. Why was Soul acting like that? Why had my vision been so…vivid…so terrifying? Why…why would Soul want to kill me! "I was just dreaming…" I breathed to myself for reassuring. "That's all…" I then said; finally lifting my hand to pull the blankets away and swinging my feet around the mattress to touch the floor.

"Just shake it off!" I told myself as I sprung to my feet and made my way out of the room. I walked into the kitchen and started the coffee maker and then turned around; only to see that the apartment was still a mess. Though…I walked right by it and over to the T.V to turn it on. Then, as the coffee was being made, I sat down on the couch and turned on the news. They were talking about the weather here in Death City…and just then I had just realized that I hadn't even watched the news for months…

"Looks like it's still sunny today, on Saturday the 22nd, but keep a look out for rain in the next few days."

"Thanks Louise…"

As the reporter went on the news of the day, I looked outside the window. I saw the blue sky passed the glass…but something caught my eye and distracted me from the real point of looking out there. Was that someone's reflection…? I stood up slowly as the reporter went on about a small fire down the street from the studio, and then began walking over to the window with furrowed brows. It looked…like a reflection of Soul just staring out the window…but why would I even be seeing something like that…? It was very distinctive and pale…but I could see him clearly as if he was really standing there.

His eyes suddenly made contact with mine.

"WHA!" I shouted in a yelp; feeling something shove me back as his sudden movement startled me. I fell and crashed down on top of the coffee table and caused many things that were on it to fall off and break. The table itself broke at the legs and the remote had fallen into my lap as I kept my wide eyes on the window; which no longer had the reflection. Why had that suddenly happened? Why was I seeing so much more of these visions all at one time!

"In further news, Soul Evans appears to have finally been—"

"What?" My head spun around and I looked at the T.V that now had a splatter on the screen from an old drink that had once been on the coffee table. "How long has this been on the new—" My own voice had been interrupted as the phone in the kitchen went off; calling me to come answer it. I grabbed the remote as a picture of Soul and I was shown to indicate what he looked like, and I shut the T.V off before standing up and throwing the remote over my shoulder. I ran over to the kitchen and nearly slammed into the counter as I grabbed the phone. Then, pressing the call button, I held it up to my ear and quickly yelled out my greeting. "H-hello!"

_"Yes, Hello Maka it's Stein," _The voice on the other end said to me calmly. My eyes widened and I had a feeling something about this call was going to make me happy… _"Please, come to the office, Shinigami-Sama would like to speak to you,"_

"On my way!" I said before hanging up the phone and turning around. I walked into the bedroom and opened the closet to grab a pair of sweats and a long sleeve tan shirt. Then, when those were on, I through on some sandals and tied my hair up into a messy bun. I grabbed my cell phone off the desk and flipped it open as I then walked out of the room and eyed Blair's food bowl to see it if was full. Though, forgetting the apartment keys, I turned back around, put the phone calling on hold and went back into the room to go open the drawer. I had lost the keys the day before when I was riding the bike, but I had an extra in the desk drawer.

But that's when I found _'it'_…the bracelet I got for Christmas nearly five years ago…

_-"Oi, Maka! Wait a sec." I turned around as Soul came to the top of the stairs and slowly made his way over. I then leaned on the door as he reached into his pocket to search for something I was sure wasn't the key. I narrowed my eyes as he pulled the object out, and noticed it was the very thing that had fallen out of his pocket earlier. He pulled out a velvety box…not small enough to be a ring and yet not long enough to be a necklace. "Here…Merry Christmas…" He looked away embarrassed as he held it out to me._

_"Thank you Soul…"_

_I took the blue velvet box from his hands and pried it open; revealing a small but elegant silver bracelet with a single blue charm on it. It was simple…but it looked absolutely gorgeous. "Liz said girls like that kind of stuff…" Soul mumbled as I stared at the bracelet in awe. "I don't have that much money…so it's not too flashy…but I tried to get whatever looked—"I looked up to his embarrassed face and quickly intruded._

_"Soul, I love it."_

_"R-Really?"_

_I nodded and took the bracelet out of the box. Then, after handing the velvet container to Soul, I slipped it on my right wrist. "Simple…but beautiful…" My finger traced along the small blue charm that I guessed was a sapphire. "You know…it reminds me of your soul…" I then said to him; causing him to curiously look at the sapphire as well. Then without warning, I hugged my arm and the bracelet close. 'It will always be close to my heart…'-_

I picked the sapphire like bracelet up with my left hand and narrowed my eyes and smiled lightly. I hadn't worn the thing in forever…in fact I hadn't worn it since the day before we were going to the beach a little after graduation. I didn't want to lose it so I left it at home…guess I forgot to put it back on when we got home. "Sorry Soul." I said to myself; wishing he could have heard it. I then slipped the bracelet onto my right wrist and shut the drawer, now looking at both it and the ring on my finger. That's right…Soul had asked me to marry him…

I should have just said yes without any thought whatsoever…

Then maybe all of this wouldn't be happening…

With a sigh, I reached for my cell phone again, shoved the extra key into my pocket and made my way out of the room and over to the front door. I put it on lock before even shutting it and when I was outside I tested to see if it worked. It did: the doorknob would not budge. So…as I walked down the stairs, I flipped my phone open again and pulled up Tsubaki's number so I could text her to meet at the school entrance. I hadn't bothered with riding the bike since the school was a good walking distance away, and anyway, I was going to stop at Liz and Patty's work to see if they could come as well.

Once I was there at the hair and salon place they worked at, I opened the door and made my way passed the cashier and up the platform to where the two sister's worked. I ignored the smell of nail polish and I evaded the woman who had been sweeping up the hair on the ground. And even though Liz looked like she had a client, I walked right up to her and kept a serious expression on my face. "Liz," I said; causing her to look up almost as if she was still a little more interested in cutting the woman's hair. "They may have found Soul."

That was exactly what I needed to say to get her full attention, and immediately, she set the scissors down and took her apron off. "Sorry hun," She said to the woman as she gave her a perplexed look; her hair only half way trimmed shoulder length. "But I need to leave under very important circumstances." She turned around and got her sister's attention. "Patty we're leaving."

"HAI!"

As Patty stripped down out of her apron and hair cutting glasses, Liz turned back around and walked passed me to speak with another employee in the salon. "Betty can you work on Mrs. Cambridge please, I need to leave now." The woman named Betty looked away from her magazine, then Liz, then Me and finally the woman sitting in the chair waiting for her hair to get finished. Then, with a sigh, she nodded and got to her feet. "Thanks doll~" Liz cooed with a wink before looking my way. "Alright, let's go."

* * *

As the three of us climbed the stairs to Shibusen's main entrance, I spotted Tsubaki standing near the doorway with Black*Star beside her. I guessed that she may have pulled him out once she arrived… "Tsubaki," I greeted with a quick nod as the blue haired man opened the door for us all to enter. We all walked inside and made our way down the hall with me in the lead, and just as we were all beginning to actually gain some actual speed, I stopped at a door and opened it without a care.

"Kid."

The teacher who sat at his desk looked up from his papers and over to me. It was terrible to see that he had to be in on Saturdays to work on corrections, but it was nice and convenient to find him here…"Oh…Maka…" He breathed as his golden eyes found my serious green ones. Then, after seeing the rest of the gang behind me, he set down his pen and got to his feet. "I suppose you would like me to come along where ever it is your going," He then said; almost to himself as he gathered and sorted his things. I nodded to him as he then looked at me again and made his way over. "Alright then…where to?"

"Your father's office." I answered simply as he gave us all a light smile. But then, that smile faded and his eyes widened slightly. "His search team may have found Soul." It was only then when he put on a serious look and nodded to me in return. Then, we all exited his classroom's doorway and began walking down the hall again in the same formation we had been before—except this time, Kid was a part of the group. We went right by the gym and straight down the hall towards the Death Room where Shinigami-Sama and my Papa were at that very moment. We all had the same expression on our faces as we opened the door and walked inside and under the first guillotine.

"Father!" Kid called out as we all made our way down the trail towards the main platform in which the "throne" of the principal sat. The very man, Shinigami-Sama, looked our way from the group of people standing to his left that consisted of only Marie, Nygus and Stein. The six of us went up the small flight of stairs and came to a stop in front of the cloaked figure in the middle of the room. "We hear that they have found Soul…?" Kid breathed as soon as the room was completely silent. I glanced his way before looking at the Shinigami again and we all waited for him to answer.

Soon, after looking at my Papa and the rest of the group, Shinigami-Sama nodded. "Yes…" He then answered; causing my eyes to widen greatly. "We have found his presence within a building in the middle of the desert. The very one Wes presumed to be the one," As he said this, I smiled and caught sight of the others smiling as well; Kid next to me actually letting out a large sigh of relief. "Though…Medusa is there as well, along with a very dangerous man named Free. Also…We have been notified that she has people patrolling the premises…" We all fell silent from our cheers and looked his way as he eyed me carefully. "Maka…as I promised…you are the one to decide on what to do…"

"Well go in there and save his ass damn it!"

Everyone in the room looked at me as soon as I spoke, and it was so quiet that I could have sworn a pin could be heard if it had dropped. Shinigami-Sama looked at me with those large gaping holes he called eyes for a moment before shutting them and nodding. And just as he was about to turn to speak to the three members of the search party, I felt someone move behind me and, whatever it was, it had caught Shinigami-Sama's attention. "Y-Yes Black*Star…?" He asked; causing me to look over my shoulder and eye the blue haired man who had raised his hand above his head.

Black*Star dropped his hand to his side and took a step forward to be in front of the group. Then, with a serious look over his shoulder and then back to the Shinigami, he bowed his head. "Shinigami-Sama, sir…" He began as I leaned over a little in an effort to see his face better. "I would like to volunteer to be a part of the rescue team."

Immediately, Kid stepped forward as well. "Me too."

Then Liz and Patty spoke "Me three,"

"ME FOUR!"

"I as well will go…"

After Tsubaki stepped forward last I looked at each of them from behind. All of them bowed their head to the Shinigami in a polite and respectful way as they asked permission to be a part of the team…But for some reason… Shinigami-Sama only looked at me. "Well…don't ask me…" He then said to them; causing them to look up at him and then over their shoulder to me since that was exactly where he had been looking as well. "It's Maka-Chan's decision."

That's what sparked my interest immediately. "Only if I'm allowed to go too Shinigami-Sama!"

He stared at me as I took a step forward as well, and as My Papa tried to protest my actions, Shinigami-Sama rose from the chair he sat in and hovered on over to our group. He shrunk down to my height and for a moment, looked like he was serious, but…he made an odd face, as if he was smiling behind that mask. "Of course you can go…" He then said to me; causing another smile to appear on my face. He eyed the others again before looking at me once more. "You are the only person in the entire world who can rescue him..." He then told me seriously; causing my smile to fade and a look of puzzlment to appear. "And, not just physically…but as well as mentally."

.

.

.

Wait...what was _'that'_ supposed to mean...?


	15. Roselin, I'm Sorry

_Destroying a Perfect Soul_

_Chapter 15: __Roselin, I'm Sorry_

_"It felt like some kind of wolf or savage dog had bit into my arm,"_

_"I could hear the flesh and muscle being torn into pieces…"_

_"…along with my heart and soul."_

* * *

That night, I dreamed of nothing…again.

Maybe Soul had calmed down? Or maybe I lost him completely…

No matter…The next morning, I still got up to get ready for the long day that was about to come. I put on a pair of red sports shorts and a long sleeve white T-shirt. After slipping on some sneakers, I then made my way over to the desk, opened the drawer and snatched up two hair ties. My eyes snapped up into the mirror so I could begin dressing my hair, but I paused—obviously seeing another vision—and saw that Soul was sitting on the bed, profile to me and staring out the window; one knee up to rest his elbow on and the other stretched out towards the pillow at the end of the mattress. He seemed so calm…so peaceful…what was _'this' _vision going to be about…?

"You seem stable this time," I uttered out before focusing on my hair again. In the corner of my eye I saw him look my way in the reflection; a smile appearing across his lips. Then, he looked out the window again without a word as I finished putting half of my hair up in a pigtail. "You look…so peaceful," I continued; causing him to look my way again. "Like you haven't a care in the world…"

"Heh," Soul snickered with a shrug; causing me to look over my shoulder; only to see that he wasn't there. So I looked into the reflection again and saw that he was looking at me with a mellow smile. "I think I'm asleep at the moment," He then said to me before rising from the bed and walking towards me. As I began on the next pigtail, a smile on my face, Soul stopped right beside me and eyed me in the reflection. "So…" He breathed out; which I actually felt on the crook of my neck. I looked up into his eyes as he smiled at me. "You're coming for me today right…?" He then asked me; causing me to nod.

I shut my eyes for a moment before opening them again. "Soul, may I ask you something," I then asked; causing his smile to fade. Then…after a moment of silence, he nodded to me. "Remember when I told you to hide the scythe after we graduated?" I asked him; brushing out my bangs a little as he watched from beside me in the reflection. "It was because I didn't want to get reminded of the day Medusa attacked us…so I had you hide it somewhere that I couldn't ever find or see it." He nodded to me, but lifted a brow as I finished everything I was doing. "Well…can you tell me where it is?"

If he truly was Soul…then he'd tell me…

A grin on his face and then his eyes closed. He lifted a hand to whisper in my ear, and as soon as he did, I finally gave up at looking at his reflection and tried to see his face in person. He wasn't really there of course, but if what he said was really true, then the scythe was on the other side of town. If it's really there…then the visions I had been seeing lately—even the ones when he tried to kill me—were 100% true.

And that there were times when he really wanted to kill me!

"All the more reason to get this rescue going on sooner," I said to myself before opening he drawer again. I grabbed the keys to the bike since I had set them there because that was where I had been sticking the keys lately…I made sure I tossed the ring into the drawer though so I wouldn't end up damaging it and I walked out of the room, ready to go. But before I could meet anyone at the gates I had to go and get the scythe.

I wasn't going anywhere near that witch without a weapon.

* * *

Pulling the key out of the ignition, I had finally arrived at the location where Soul had hidden the scythe. I had only been there once before…and now…this was my second time. The Evans family manor… The very place Soul had been taken from, the very place Wes had been taken from…the very same place Roselin and Sosano were killed in…And I was about to break in.

"Relax…" I told myself as I walked up the pathway that led to the front door. As I walked, I looked to my left in the corner of my eyes and I saw the two gravestones that belonged to the parents of the man I loved. I paused on the porch and looked at them both for a moment. In the dream…when I was Roselin…I walked right over that spot. I…I made Roselin walk over her very own grave… "I'll have to pay them both a visit on my way out," I told myself before turning to face the door. I didn't expect it to be open, and when I gave the handle a good shake, it was clear that I had been right. So…I looked at the glass next to the door and narrowed my eyes. I would just have to apologize later.

The glass shattered as the rock passed through and fell into the entrance hall.

"I'm so sorry," I breathed out quickly with a bow of my head before reaching through the broken window and unlocking the door blindly from the other side of the wooden portal. When I heard the click, I carefully pulled my hand back out and took hold of the door handle; causing the door to creak open under my command. The room was dark…very dark…But I could see the surroundings quite well without much effort. I shut the door behind me and continued straight into the large room where there parties were always held and I looked around to examine the area.

I looked like it had been cleaned up after the party…and without all of the people in the room, it seemed so much larger…like it had so much space… I couldn't have imagined what it would have been like for a young boy to grow up in such a vast home. For a moment…it seemed like I had walked into a haunted house…as if something was going to keep me inside and haunt me forever… "Don't think that you idiot!" I told myself as I turned around to face the large flight of stairs that led to the opened second floor hallway. I had to go that way…I think…

_"Their bedroom…upstairs on the third story…down the hall…and it will be the first door on the left side."_

I looked up at the ceiling and saw that it was higher than the second floor's ceiling should have been. If my assumptions—and Soul's directions—were true…then…what I was really looking at was the floor to Roselin and Sosano's bedroom. 'Get a move on, Maka' I thought to myself so I could finally go up those stairs before me. When I got to the top, I turned left and walked down the hall that was finally hidden by another wall. There was now a ceiling and everything seemed to get darker now that the only open space besides the small window at one end of the hall and the archway into the open room at the other end. My right hand traced the wall as I walked and as I did so, I found a door.

On instinct, I opened it.

'No, wrong room.' I thought; shaking my head. 'He said third floor…' Just as I was about to leave, I paused and took in the room silently. I knew that room was familiar. It was Soul's…the one I had seen in the dream when I was Roselin's shoes for the first time. Another reason those dreams were so true…because the room—even down to every detail—was perfectly matched with the one in the dream.

I had to get a move on.

Shutting the door behind me, I turned to continue down the hall—catching sight of another door. I guessed that it was Wes's bedroom…and since I needed to pick up the pace I passed it by. At the end of the hall, there were more stairs to the left of me that led up to the next floor. Even though it looked to be even darker up there, I continued up and stopped at the top; seeing another hall that sharply turned left. I followed it and turned right again after a few feet and saw two doors, one on each side, and a window at the far end. That got some light in…but not very much since the sun wasn't on that side of the large house…

I walked over to the window and looked out at the yard, only to find it familiar again. During my second vision as Roselin, I had left the bathroom to watch Soul meet up with his friend from this window. I turned around and looked at the door that was now to my left. So that was the bathroom that I was in when the vision began…so that meant, the door that was now to my right was the bedroom I was looking for. I walked over to it and took hold of the handle—though to my disgust—it was locked.

"FUCK!"

Immediately, I slapped a hand over my mouth and turned away from the door. Crap…already have I damaged the property, but now I'm cursing in it? Geez…Roselin I really do apologize… "But I have to do this for your son's sake," I said; facing the door again and lifting my foot up. I slammed it against the door right next to the handle, but nothing happened, so I tried again. Then, I did it about three more times, and finally, the door gave up and nearly tore off its hinges; swinging open to reveal the dark and elegant master bedroom. I walked inside and glanced around…

Such a beautiful room it was…it defiantly told me two very significant people lived within it…

Though, what caught my attention as the large scythe I had been looking for. It hung above the large crimson colored bed on the wall perfectly still…I walked over to the bed, climbed on top of it, and took the weapon by the shaft so I could lift it off of it's support. It was lighter than I thought it would be—since I hadn't touched it since Junior Year in high school—but it also proved that it had been untouched for awhile anyway, considering the thick sheet of dust I had picked up with my hand. I jumped off the bed and set the bladed staff down before turning to grab the blanket of the bed… I had messed that up as well…the least I could do was make the bed again.

As soon as I was done with that, I picked up the scythe again and turned to leave. I picked up a few pieces of stray wood by the broken door with my free hand and turned right down the hall and then left again to get to the stairs that led to the second floor. As soon as I was down there, I quickly made my way to the next flight of stairs and made my way down those as well. On my way to the front door, I stopped and picked up a few pieces of glass to clean up after myself a little. I held those—along with the wood—and squeezed out of the door. I set the scythe to the side, shut the door completely, grabbed the weapon again and walked off the porch.

"Hold on…"

I stopped as I walked down the path and turned to walk over to the two grave stones that rested in the grass in the cool shade from a nearby tree. I set the scythe down and sat in front of both of their graves before shutting my eyes to speak with them. "Roselin…Sosano…" I began; holding the glass shards and wooden pieces in my hands. "I want to do two things…ask for your grace and apologize for my sins that may be against you." Of course they didn't answer me…but I had fallen silent as if I waited for an answer anyway. "…Your son asked me to marry him…but I never got the chance to say anything before he was kidnapped…" I told them quietly; opening my eyes again to stare at the ground before me. "I was going to say yes…but I want to make sure you don't hate me first…" I let out a pathetic little laugh and then looked at my hand. "I'm sorry for breaking into your home…I'm sorry for cursing within your home…and I'm sorry for breaking your bedroom door." I don't know why…but I felt like crying… "I'm sorry for messing up your bed…though I did clean it up for you…" Another pathetic little laugh. "And…Roselin…I'm so sorry for not taking better care of Soul…"

The wind picked up a little…And I could have sworn something was set on my shoulder…

"I'm going to rescue him right now…so please…If you wish," I looked up at her stone but looked down again with a little sniffle. "Give me your strength and your grace to get this rescue done successfully…" I then said as I wiped my right eye away of tears. Now I was certain a hand was on my shoulder, but I knew there was no one there… What? Could I really come in contact with the dead as well…? "Good bye…and thank you, and once again," I stood up and looked at both of their grave stones—the ghost like hand lifting away from my shoulder—and I smiled lightly once more.

"I'm sorry,"

* * *

Of course I got weird looks when I was driving to the main gates on the bike…I was sitting on the scythe and making very sure that it wouldn't hit anyone or anything at the same time as being a reckless driver. I think I may have sliced a huge chunk out of a tree that was close to the street, but I didn't hurt anybody…But that didn't matter once I got out of the city…You see Soul's bike was built for going out on the desert sands. I was able to follow the open Jeep in which everyone else sat in as we rode through the desert and onward towards the building Soul was being held in.

And to my dismay…I forgot that I still had the bracelet on…

Guess I was more worried about the engagement ring than anything else…

"Soooo…Maka, what took you so long anyway!"

My glare forward faded and I looked to my left as I rode across the desert sands. Black*Star leaned on the back of the jeep with his arms behind his head and a stupid grin facing my way while the jeep moved beside me. I made sure I was on the right side of the open truck so the blade wouldn't accidently slash it's tires or something… "I had to find the scythe!" I shouted back over the winds as I looked forward again; just in time to steer around a large rock. As soon as I was in a more stable position, I looked at him again and saw that he had lifted a brow. "Soul hid it from me after school was done…I told him to do it!"

Liz leaned over from her seat and the wind seemed to cause her hair to blow in every direction you could imagine. "Then how did you even know where it was?" She called out over the winds as the Jeep hit an obstacle; causing it to jump and bring everyone a few inches up out of their seats. Liz nearly fell out, but Kid was able to snatch her up before hand. "Unless!" She began again as soon as she found herself again; catching my attention. "Did you see another vision?"

"You can say that!"

"Liz, sit down!" Kid shouted over the high winds as he pulled the Thompson sister into her seat. Patty giggled at the scene as Tsubaki made sure she had enough wind to keep herself cool from the hot sun. Stein, Marie and Nygus, in the front seats didn't seem to have anything to do with what was happening in the open space behind them… The Jeep was able to hit things like that and still come around in the end, but if I made one little mistake or hit even the slightest little rock, I could lose control and end up killing myself.

"I knew it was going to rain over there!"

After hearing Black*Star's voice we all seemed to look over our shoulders to look at the city from afar. A dark cloud was forming above it…it looked like a rain cloud. How rare…I think it was the third or fifth rain cloud I had seen since the day I moved to Death City in the first place. "Guess the news was right!" I shouted as a response as I looked forward again. They all looked at me for a moment before going back to their business again, and soon…other than the two powerful engines and the speedy winds…all was quiet. Though…as soon as I saw a silver van in the distance, my eyes widened and I shouted to Stein. "Stein! Is that—"

"YES!" Stein shouted back as he began to slow down. I as well began to slow as we approached the van, and soon as I was able to see an open tent where a table had been set up and the rest of Shinigami's Search Crew had been.

It had been two hours since we left Death City…

Meaning, all this time…Soul was only a few hours away from me.

"Finally!" Black*Star shouted as the Jeep rolled to a stop. Taking his sword into his hands, he hopped over the edge and landed in the sand just as I stopped nearby as well. Liz and Patty, with their guns, jumped out as well, and were soon followed by an unarmed Death the Kid. Though Tsubaki stayed behind to help my Papa up from the floor since he wasn't able to sit anywhere else… Poor guy…sitting at everyone's feet...for 2 hours straight…under the hot sun…in the middle of the desert…

Oh, I couldn't help but giggle…

"Yumi, how does everything look?" Stein asked as we all walked into the tent to see the two search members who were left behind. She looked up from the map and pushed her glasses up with her right pointer finger.

"I wasn't able to get a good layout of the building…" She began as Sid sharpened his and Nygus's knives. "We had to get out of there almost as soon as we were in there so we wouldn't get ourselves caught." She seemed to eye me before looking at Stein again. "I'm afraid to tell you this but…you're going in blind."

"That's alright,"

The two of them continued to speak, but I walked away from the tent and passed the silver van that obviously belonged to the first part of their group. And there it was…just a few yards away…a large hole in the middle of the desert filled with ancient looking pillars that surrounded one large building…the very building that I had seen when I tried to search for Soul that night at Tsubaki's restaurant…

"Here…you'll need these,"

I looked over my shoulder and watched as Sid handed two guns to Kid; causing him to bow and give his thanks. As I watched that little scene, I hadn't realized that Black*Star had taken his place beside me to stare at the ancient looking building. "It's just us," He said to me as I looked forward again. "If we're in there for longer than three hours…then, they'll come in after us." I looked at the blue haired man beside me and saw that his eyes were narrow as he held the black sword within the sheaf. "This is Soul we're talking about…he's our friend, so they're letting us deal with it first…"

"I see…"

For a moment he went quiet again…but then he looked up at me and grinned as the others made their way over to stand nearby.

"You ready for this Maka?"

I was silent as they all looked at me…and then, after eyeing the building one last time, I gripped the shaft of the scythe and gulped down the nervous lump in my throat.

"Yeah…I hope so."

* * *

I have something to ask…

Where did all my reviewers go?

I mean normally I don't worry about how many reviewers there are but the first chapter of this story had exactly 24 reviews…and this last chapter—Chapter 14—had only 6 reviews. Where did you all go? I feel like the half of the people who read RABS didn't even bother with DAPS at all…I know it's kinda selfish, but is it even worth writing anymore if I've lost more than half of my reviewers?

Maybe if I posted the chapters more often...like this one...would that help at all?


	16. Reunion

_Destroying a Perfect Soul_

_Chapter 16: Reunion_

_"It felt like some kind of wolf or savage dog had bit into my arm,"_

_"I could hear the flesh and muscle being torn into pieces…"_

_"…along with my heart and soul."_

* * *

"All of you be careful," Marie said suddenly as we were about to leave. We turned around to face her as she gave us all a worried expression. "I know…you aren't kids anymore…but…" For a moment she looked down into the hot sand, but now with a smile on her face she looked up to us again. "You all were my students once..." We all smiled in return. "And no matter how old you will get…you'll always be those young students of mine that I got to see every morning…Soul too." She seemed to giggle. "Even though he always slept and barely ever paid attention…he was a student of mine as well~"

_"Soul! Stop sleeping!"_

_"Pay attention Soul!"_

_"SOUL WAKE UP!"_

_"Someone _'please'_ wake Mr. Evans up…"_

_"Soul! Stop staring at Maka and read!"_

Yeah…He liked to stare at me in class after we got together…It bugged Marie to no end…

"Good luck,"

Coming back to reality I noticed that Marie had finished her little speech and it was Nygus who had said that to us. I looked over my shoulder and saw that the Thompson sisters had been waiting for me and the other's had already ran ahead. "Oh…sorry." I breathed out before turning at the heel to follow them down the large hill into the ancient ruins. They both held their guns to the side and I followed with the scythe raised above my head. We hid behind pillars a few times in case we could have been seen…and soon we found ourselves in the shadow the building casted upon a part of the land.

"I'm sure the others already got inside…" Liz said as we had our backs to the outside wall of the building. "The door is just a few feet away…and it looked like it was cracked open…" We moved against the wall and made our way towards the door she had been talking about…and once we were there, Patty moved to the other side of it and began to open it with her superhuman strength…since the door was made of stone and all…After helping her a little, the door opened just enough for us to squeeze through, but she made sure there were no camera's first.

"Clear…?"

"Yep!"

"Alright, let's go," Liz said; signaling Patty to go inside. She did so and Liz stepped forward with her gun out to scan the area before letting me go ahead of her. "We'll keep watch for you since we have long distance weapons," She then told me just as I slipped inside. As I did so, I nodded to her and she followed me right inside. She and Patty both shut the door behind us and before we went on, Patty stepped in front of me with her gun in front of her. The hallway was dark even though there were lights on the walls. The dark green color seemed to be the only color on the wall…and those rare, every so once in awhile lights on the walls…blinked in a very…creepy way.

There was a tap on my shoulder and I looked over it to see Liz staring me down with dark blue eyes. "Maka, since we're in…try and look for his soul…" She told me in a serious tone. I nodded to her and faced forward as they both waited for me. I shut my eyes, concentrated, took a deep breath, and opened them again. I could see Patty's cheerful but somewhat anguished soul right in front of me…I sensed Liz's soul that was nearly the same behind me…but I could also see that Black*Star and Tsubaki's were inside…but on the other side of the building…and up. Were there more floors? Because I could definitely see Kid's soul down below us…

"You got it?"

Still using my perception abilities, I nodded and let Patty know that I was ready to move on. So she began making her way down the hall with her sister and I right behind her. As we walked, I held the scythe tight and searched for his soul…It was up! "Patty, find stairs," I blurted out as we each began to speed up. "He's right above us." Shit…The signal was weak…I could barely keep an eye on him…It was getting blurry and I was beginning to lose him…"Hurry…"

"I'm looking, I'm looking,"

_-"Soul?"_

"What?"

I let out a sigh of relief as I set a hand on my chest. It was him, thank goodness…so I could continue on what I was doing. As I reached for the shampoo, I heard Soul mutter out my name in wonder, so I paused and stuck out my head from the end of the curtain so I could see him. "Oh, I was just making sure it was you…" I then said with a smile as he turned around; a toothbrush hanging out of his mouth. He lifted a brow at me almost immediately and I looked away in the corner of my eyes. "I…uh…for some reason wasn't able to sense you coming that time…"

He pulled the toothbrush out of his mouth and turned to spit in the sink. Then, setting it down on the counter, he turned back around and put his hands in his basketball shorts' pockets. "Strange…" He then said to me as I slipped back into the shower to keep washing off. "Do you think you're losing your amazing powers?" He then asked; a ton of sarcasm in his voice. The muscle in my forehead pulsed and I yelled out his name in frustration, but he only laughed. "Relax; I'm sure your fine."-

What if he was wrong…What if there really was something wrong…?

"There, found them!" Liz said as she snatched me up by the shoulder to stop me from walking so quickly. Patty stopped on her own and we all looked down a hall to our right and saw a flight of stairs that went up to the next floor. They looked old...but they were still very stable…so we charged up them with Liz in the front instead of Patty. The next floor up had thinner halls then the one below. The ones down below were probably the size of a street's lane…but now they were probably a little more than half of that size. "Where to now, Maka?" Liz asked me as we stood at a fork in the road. "Right or Left?"

My eyes scanned the area again and once again I found myself looking up. "He's up even further,"

"GOD DAMN IT!" Patty yelled; causing the two of us to flinch and looked behind us.

"Patty shush!"

"…Sorreh~"

Liz and I rolled our eyes and we turned to walk down the hall to our right. They were both calm but I was beginning to panic. Not only was I beginning to lose signal on Soul's soul…but Patty's sudden yell had caused another familiar soul to cross my vision. Medusa's…and she was only downstairs…plus, she knew her way around the place better than anyone of us. I think it was built for her…ancient on the outside but almost nearly modern in the inside…just for her…"G-Guys…I think she's on her way to this floor…"

"Who?"

"M-Medusa."

Liz looked over her shoulder as she used her hand to trace where she was going, so she wouldn't run into a wall or anything. "Uh-oh…" She then said; looking forward again. Though, something caught my attention and I grabbed her by the hood of her sleeveless jacket to stop her. There was another fork in road, but I sensed a group of people coming from the right. I pulled on the hood and she took a few steps back away from the opening and we waited…then, three men in black cloaks walked right by and continued on the left hall; completely passing us by as if they were blind. "Thanks Maka…"

"No problem…" I said to her as she moved forward a little to look down the left hall and see how far they had gone. "They're soul's seemed to be going down before they passed by…" I then said as she looked right. "So…the stairs should be that way." She nodded in response and began moving again as Patty and I followed in the same order as we had been. The hall took a right curve and soon, we were met with a flight of stairs that went up. "Such an odd place…" I muttered as the three of us climbed them.

"It's like a maze…"

What Patty said behind us both was exactly what I had been thinking…The place _'was' _like a maze…I couldn't see the layout with my Soul Perception…but just by walking through it…I could tell it was going to be tough when we were going to leave the damn place.

"Ok…do we need to go higher?"

I stopped behind Liz and saw that there were two more halls to choose from. Either straight or right. Though I needed to make sure if we were even on the right floor first… I looked around for his soul…and it seemed to be right beside us…so I looked to my right and saw that were on the right floor...and his soul was down the hall to our right. "Turn right," I simply said; causing Liz to nod in response and do the very thing. "One of these doors!" I shouted as we ran by many different metal doors on the right and left side of the hallway. "He's behind one of the doors on the right!"

"Got it!"

I scanned every single door I could for his soul…but I seemed to lose signal all together. 'Shit…' I thought as I continued to look at each door I went by. I stopped all motion—nearly causing Patty to run into me—and I shut my eyes to take another breath. I just needed to relax…and once I did, I felt his soul again. So I opened my eyes again and looked for it. We had passed it. "Liz, we missed it..." I said to her as she watched. "Two doors…" I stepped passed Patty and kept my eyes on the wall. "This way…" Two doors later, I stopped in front of one and looked at the soul that belonged to the man I love. "He…he should be in this room here."

"Let's hope your right…"

I nodded in agreement with Liz as she and her sister turned to point their guns in both directions. I then set my hand on the door handle, canceled out my perception, and then turned it. The metal door creaked open and the three of us peeked inside cautiously; in case it was to be a trap. The room was plain…just a bed and a door in the wall at the end of the bed. Though I didn't care at all for that…once I saw what was in the bed, I dropped the scythe; causing it's clatter to fill the air.

"Soul!"

"Soul-Kun~!"

"We found him…"

Liz and Patty picked up the scythe and set it aside so they could shut the door behind them as I ran over to the bed to kneel down beside it. Soul was asleep…but he definitely looked ok. "Oh…Soul, I finally found you…" I breathed out as I used a hand to brush some of his hair from his closed eyes. And just like he always would…his eyes began to flutter open from my touch. That, there, told me he was still the same old Soul Eater Evans that I fell in love with. "Soul…"

His crimson colored eyes shifted from the ceiling and fell upon my own, and then they widened slightly. "M-Maka…?"

"Oh, I missed you so much!" I yelled out as I hugged him tightly; signaling the moment for Liz and Patty to join in on the hug. "We all missed you!" I then said as Patty gave him a big smooch on the forehead to show how glad she was to see him. Liz only hugged him though as I began to kiss the nearest cheek of his I could find. When we all pulled away to see his puzzled expression the three of us smiled. "We've come to take you home," I then said to him; both Thompson sisters beside me nodding.

"But…" Soul began as he helped himself sit up; revealing to us that he was still in his torn suit. "I can't…get up." He then said to us as he attempted to lift his right arm. I heard something clatter together and I pulled the blanket away to see what was going on and we all then saw what was keeping him from getting out of bed. He had shackles on…he was chained to the bed… "Medusa has the keys…"

"Speaking of Medusa…" Liz began as Soul and I exchanged real looks for the first time since the night he had been taken. He and I both looked at her after as she stood up and set her hands on her hips. "Didn't you say you felt her heading up the floor right below us…?" She then asked me as Soul took my hand since it had been so close to his. I looked down to the floor beside me before nodding and shutting my eyes. I wonder where she was now…

CRAP!

"Liz, Patty, hide now!" I yelped quietly as I stood up; letting go of Soul's hand in the process. I took both of the sisters by the hands and dragged them over to the door at the foot of the bed. "She's right outside in the hall way…making her way towards the door." Not only had they gasped, but I caught Soul doing the same thing before throwing himself back under the blankets. Though since it didn't work out very well, I ran back over and threw the blankets over him to help. "Soul," As soon as I said his name, he opened his eyes again and I leaned in to kiss him.

Oh…how I missed those lips of his~

"Maka…" Liz hissed from behind the door; causing me to pull away and stand up straight. "Come on…" I nodded and ran back over to the small door where they were hiding. I opened it so I could slip inside and just as the handle to the other door was turning, I shut the one we were behind. It was a small closet…an empty one at that…and it usually was the best place to look if you were suspicious of someone being in the room, but the three of us knelt down and peeked through the small openings in the double doored closet.

"Ah…I see you're awake."

Her voice made me cringe as soon as I heard it… And just as she left the door open and began to walk over to the bed, I realized something. "Whoa…Liz," I whispered to her quietly so we wouldn't catch Medusa's attention. She looked at me and lifted a brow as I leaned over a little; though still keeping an eye on the witch descendant. "Where did you put the scythe?"

"…By the door…"

We both looked at each other for a moment before leaning over a little to look at the opened doorway. If it really was by the door then it was probably behind it at the moment…so Medusa wouldn't be able to see it. Whew…that was close…it definitely would have turned out to be bad…

"So…I heard some shouting earlier…" Medusa began; causing us all to look at her through the closet doors' blinds. "It sounded like a young woman," We both looked at Patty and she smiled sheepishly our way as if saying sorry. Though, I rolled my eyes and looked forward again to watch Medusa walk around and stand at the foot of the bed, right in front of us. That's when I saw them…the keys to Soul's chains. They were hooked to her belt... "Then…some of my men ran into two of your friends…Black*Star and Tsubaki~" I looked up from the keys and saw Soul's serious face turn into a puzzled one. "Do you know what that means…?"

"Medusa, I swear if you hurt them—"

"They aren't hurt," Medusa said to him with a light giggle. "Though, what I was going to say was…" Her giggling stopped and I could feel the atmosphere change, along with Soul's expression. "Your little whorish lover has arrived—"

"Don't fucking call her that!"

"Shut up, boy!" Medusa shouted right back as I glared from behind the door. Soul seemed to shut it like she said…and the frightening aura around her seemed to fade. "Hmm…?" She seemed to notice something and lean forward a little and I saw Soul lift a brow. "Is that…lip gloss on your forehead?"

Liz and I both snapped glares over to Patty again and she giggled quietly. "Uh…" She began quietly; rolling her eyes to the side innocently. "Whoopsie~"

"N-No, it's nothing!" Soul snapped as he moved his head just enough to get his hair to fall over the spot Patty had kissed moments ago. "Just a little bruise I got from trying to escape earlier this morning," He then lied as Medusa stood up straight again. As he said this, I had opened the door just barely and reached my hand out towards the keys that hung off her belt. I moved slowly as Medusa said something to him that I couldn't quite catch. I tried not to breathe too hard and I had Liz and Patty hold me so I wouldn't slip and fall forward. My hands began to shake…and then finally I had the key in my reach. I slipped it off of the hook and slowly began to retreat my hand back inside the closet as she finished what she had been saying.

"Whatever…"

The dark aura appeared again and Medusa stepped away from the closet just as I shut it all the way again. I looked through the small openings and saw that she was glaring at him. "Don't use that tone with me…" She hissed as he looked away from her. There was silence between them as she reached over with a hand to move his hair from his forehead. There it was…she saw the lip gloss…clear as day… But…she didn't do what I thought she would. She didn't even look at the closet… She just stood up straight and spoke before leaving. "I'll be back in a few minutes to deal with you…"

"Ma'am…"

A man stood in the doorway as she made her way over to him and took hold of the door handle. "Search for Maka Albarn…" She simply said to him; caching all of my attention. "When you find her, put her in my office."

"Yes, Ma'am."

Then…the door shut and the scythe was revealed again. The three of us waited for a moment before opening the closet door again, and as soon as we were out, I ran over to the bed and pulled the blankets away. "Do you know what key?" I asked Soul as I lifted the three different keys for him to look. He eyed each of them and studied their features. Then he nodded and said it was the one in the middle. "Ok…" I knelt down again and shoved he middle key into the first shackle. After turning it, his right hand was free. When I got the chance, I used the same key to unlock his other hand…though I had to completely lean over his body to do so…which I could tell he was thinking perverted things about it…

"Are your feet locked up too?"

"No…" Soul answered as he rubbed his wrists with his hands. He swung his shoed feet around and touched the ground before standing up. "Damn those things hurt." He then uttered out as Liz and Patty peeked out the door. As soon as he dropped his hands he looked at me in the eyes; though even though he wore no smile…he hugged me tightly as soon as he could. He smelt like sweat and blood…and the suit he wore was torn, his hair was messy, it felt greasy…and there was something black and crusty on the side of his forehead that Patty's lips hadn't touched. Was that…the black blood I had seen in the vision in the bathroom…?

"Come on, Love birds…we need to get out of here."

Soul and I pulled away and looked over to the door where the two sisters stood. "Ok…" I said with a nod; taking one of Soul's hands in mine and walking over to the door. I took the scythe in hand and then followed the two women out into the hall. "Soul…you've been here for awhile…" I then began as we turned left to make our way to the stairs. "Do you know how to get around…?"

"No idea," Soul answered bluntly as Liz and Patty surrounded us again. I looked at him as we walked and he seemed to be glaring forward. God, he looked exhausted… "I've been dragged through these halls and I have changed rooms so many times I don't even know what floor we're on." I held up three fingers as Liz stopped near before going near the stairs…and what happened next caused me to nearly jump out of my skin.

She shot her gun to the right.

"Shit!" Soul snapped as Patty shot too from behind us. Immediately we were surrounded by Medusa's men. Liz tried shooting again, but she ended up getting her arm slapped away and was shoved into the wall. I let go of Soul's hand again and lifted the blade; though the hall wasn't wide nor high enough for me to swing it properly, so I shoved the end of the shaft into the man's gut as Soul punched another. Patty continued to shoot from behind us, and I turned around telling her to duck just as Soul did, and when she followed the order, I threw the bladed end into the guts of two different men at the same time; causing them to stagger back and double over in pain.

I had the longest weapon there…and it was tough to fight alongside three others…

"Liz!"

I turned around after hearing Soul shout the woman's name out and I saw that she had disappeared down the stairs. I guessed she hadn't gone on her free will. "Soul move!" I shouted; causing him to duck down without even looking. I found a way to swing the end of the pole since there was a little room near the stair way and I smacked the man who had pushed her, in the face. He fell over and Soul tackled him to continue the fight as Patty slipped by to follow her sister down the stairs. "Patty!" I looked down the stairway and saw the younger Thompson sister kneeling down next to her sister who lied down on the floor at the base of the steps. Angry, I grit my teeth, turned around and swung a fist into who was behind me; probably breaking their nose.

Though…once I saw that all the men who had ambushed us were passed out on the ground…I realized that the man I had punched was Soul…

"Oh, Soul, I'm so sorry!"

"Ow…"

* * *

Thanks for all the reviews guys...I just needed to know you were still there :3

I swear...I wont stop until this story is over. I put too much work and thought into it to just end it here

I hope you liked the chapter


	17. Chrona Gorgon

_Destroying a Perfect Soul_

_Chapter 17: Chrona Gorgon_

_"It felt like some kind of wolf or savage dog had bit into my arm,"_

_"I could hear the flesh and muscle being torn into pieces…"_

_"…along with my heart and soul."_

* * *

"Really…I thought you were one of them…"

"Don't worry about it."

"Soul, I _'punched' _you—"

"Do you think I don't know that?"

Soul used both of his hands to rub his nose as I tried to comfort him…but he wasn't making it very easy… "Stop touching me…I can do this…" Nope not at all… "Go make sure Liz is alright…" He said to me with a cringe after hearing his nose pop. With a cringe of my own, I nodded and turned around to walk down the stairs—but stopped almost immediately, seeing that the sisters were gone. "What's wrong…?" I heard him ask me with a bit of a muzzle to his voice. I looked over my shoulder at him with a look of disbelief.

"They're gone."

"What?"

As I stepped to the side, Soul looked down the stairway to see that both of the Thompson sisters had disappeared like I said. Leaving me behind, he charged down the steps and looked left and right for them; only to look back up and give me a shrug. "Crap…" I muttered as I bent over to pick up the scythe and then follow him down the stairs. As he sniffed up whatever was lurking in that nose of his, he looked back up the stair way and then we went down the hall together. "Do you know where you're going now?"

"Sort of."

He took my hand quickly—the bracelet jingling from the sudden shake—and we began to move faster down the hall. I didn't realize there were so many doors…I thought they were only on the third floor where Soul was. "These rooms were used for her many experiments that died." Soul said to me as if he knew I was wondering about them. I looked his way as we turned left into another dark hallway. "Or at least…that's what she told me…"

"What did she experiment them on…"

"Resistance to the Black Blood." He simply told me; his crimson eyes scanning every single inch of that hallway as we walked. My eyes widened as I remembered the vision I had of him…the one when he had blood colored black dripping down his face from the forehead… I thought I had been seeing things…but now that he said that…and seeing the crusty black substance on his forehead…I knew it was true. "She tested it on me…and she even tested it on her son…on Chrona."

"Chrona!"

Soul paused and looked over his shoulder to see my shocked expression. And that's when I realized…he didn't know that I even knew that boys name… Though, instead of asking me about it, Soul seemed to be pretty set on doing something once he looked forward again. He pulled on my hand and began walking in the direction in which the Thompson sisters and I had come…but he turned the different direction when we approached the stairs.

"S-Soul where are you going?"

"I just remembered where Chrona is…" He said to me as he continued down the foreign hallway. "I want you to meet him before we leave." He then told me; his hand giving mine a light squeeze. He didn't know that I knew of Chrona…but he probably figured that I found out from someone; considering that I had mentioned Chrona's name in such a way. Maybe because he assumed that I knew of everything …he thought it would be appropriate for me to meet him in person. Now that I think about it…I saw Chrona twice. In visions…skinny, purple hair, wears black robes…was that just my imagination telling me what Chrona looked like…or was that _'really' _Chrona?

"This one,"

I hadn't realized the many turns we had taken until we finally found the right door. He had let go of my hand to give the hall one last look in each direction before setting his hand on the door handle. He turned it and opened the door just enough for the both of us to slip inside. My eyes locked onto the bed at the edge of the room and I watched the person within as their chest moved up and down from breathing. The room looked exactly like Soul's room…I guess the only difference was that this person…Chrona…looked like he was dying. An I.V stood beside the bed and the long tube ran all the way down to where his arm was under the blankets…he was asleep…and he looked very sick…

"Here he is…" Soul breathed out as he walked passed me and over to the bed where Chrona slept. I was shocked to see him in person…though even more so to see him in such a condition. "I think you may already know…but this guy…" He paused as I took my place beside him; a light and pathetic laugh passing his lips. "This guywas my best friend…" As he said this, I examined Chrona's face. I felt his soul shake beside me as he watched Chrona's face as well…but for some reason, the soul I felt shake felt…different…it was definitely his…Though now that my mind was on the subject…his soul felt different from the very beginning…

Was this man right beside me really Soul…?

I glanced his way in the corner of my eyes as he stared at the sleeping man in the bed. Why did I doubt him all of a sudden? Just because his soul felt…different? I couldn't even put my finger on what was different in the first place. It was just…not the same. Like…something had plagued his very soul. Or was it broken again—no…I knew what his soul felt like when it was broken…I spent half a year repairing it when we were in high school! So…what was so different about it?

"Make sure you knock him out first." Came a voice from the hallway; causing Soul and I both to look over our shoulders and over to the doorway. There was a very faint shadow underneath the door…and that voice was definitely Medusa's. "I'll be up there just as soon as I check on Chrona's condition."

"Shit" Soul cursed silently before taking the scythe from me. "Time to repeat your actions." He then said; walking over to the closet. I followed him over and after he opened the doors, he shoved the scythe in first before pulling himself and me in. He shut off the barrier between us and the room and turned sideways to face me; keeping his eyes in the direction of the other door to watch Medusa's actions. "Why does she have to be so…coincidental…?"

"Beats me…" I whispered back as the door opened to signal Medusa's entrance. We both fell as silent as we could as she began to examine the I.V at the other end of the room. And as she did that, I took the moment to do some examining myself. I needed to get to the bottom of this strange happening going on in Soul's soul. I needed to find out why it felt so different. So looking at it up close was probably my best bet. "Hold still." I whispered as quietly as I could get my voice as Medusa opened a drawer next to the bed. Soul looked at me as I shut my eyes to concentrate and do my stuff. Once they were open again, I did what he was probably expecting, and I looked into his soul.

Just like always…it was bright and blue and I could see the mended cracks were doing ok…but once I really paid attention to it…I saw what had been so different. It was a black spot…in the very middle. Not much of a spot though, more like the whole middle section fading to black. The very center of it was the darkest, and it got lighter and lighter until it was gray fading into the light blue that represented his soul. It was about the size of a fist! The average soul was about half the size of a basketball, or maybe a soccer ball…and there was a chunk of it turned black in the size of a fist. That's nearly 50% of his whole soul gone black! Never in my life had I seen such a thing!

But still…he looked fine.

Just fine…

"Why…" I whispered; causing him to look at me again. "Why has your soul been invaded…by this…" I searched for the right word…but I couldn't find anything that would even sound as remotely as professional as I wanted it to… "_'Black stuff'_!"

"Maka, shush," Soul said to me; swinging a hand over my mouth. Though, his efforts were useless since Medusa had looked over to the door and narrowed her eyes. And as hers did so, mine did the opposite by widening. He threw his other arm around me and held me close to his chest as he glared at Medusa through the closet doors' blinds. He tried to take a step back as the witch descendant got closer, but he nearly dropped the scythe in the process. I could hear him cursing under his breath as Medusa got closer…and soon, she was close enough to actually see us if she concentrated her sight enough…

"Ma'am" Came a voice as the door opened; causing Medusa to look at him in the corner of her eyes. "We've caught two more of the intruders. Two young women." Damn it…that was definitely Liz and Patty…but where was Kid?

There was silence as Soul and I watched the scene through the closet doors' blinds. Though…finally Medusa spoke.

"Are any of them Maka Albarn…?"

"Not sure…I just got the word from another…"

Medusa seemed to be annoyed with the man as she turned around and walked away from the closet. She said something to him too quickly for me to catch and she slammed the door behind her as she left; causing me to jump a little. And as soon as her footsteps were no longer heard Soul opened the closet and slipped out as I pulled myself and the scythe out too. "Soul," I said as he was about to open the door to leave. Though he still took it in his hands to turn it—but I wasn't going to let him leave without explaining. "Soul Eater Evans, tell me what the _'fuck' _has happened to you!"

That got him…

Soul stood frozen in front of the door as I stood behind him and near the bed Chrona slept in. He had his back to me still but I could tell that he was thinking about running from the situation. Typical Soul… "Come here," I ordered as I held the scythe with one hand and pointed to the ground in front of me with the other. "Now…" Slowly, and looking at the ground, the white haired pianist turned around and wore a frown on his face. "Come here," I repeated to him; casing him to make his way over slowly, with his crimson eyes plastered on the ground still. "Now tell me what that black… _'thing'_...on your soul was."

"Black Blood." Soul answered quickly as if he wanted to get out of the conversation as quickly as possible. For a moment, I was a little confused, but then I remembered him telling me that he had been experimented on as well. "It's…where I go when I'm under the influence…" He then said to me; still not making eye contact. "She puts me on that shit…and everything goes black…I find myself in this…little room…and I have no idea what I'm thinking or doing on the outside…Medusa says I'm an animal…I tear things to shreds…that I'm "beautifully insane"—"

"And that you want to kill me?"

Soul seemed surprised as soon as I said this. His mouth hung open and he fought for the right thing to say in return—he looked speechless. "W-What?" He finally uttered out in disbelief. I looked away from him and down to the base of the I.V's stand. "M-Maka! I would never think of such a thing!" He protested as he took my shoulders in his hands to shake me a little. "I love you, Maka…I would never want to kill you!"

I beamed a glare in his direction. "So I got all those visions of you wanting to kill me for no reason!" I then shouted; causing him to take a step back. "And that my dream about you crushing my skull was nothing too?" His mouth once again hung open and he tried to say something but I slammed the end of the scythe's shaft down on the ground to shut him up. "Soul, don't deny those feelings because I know you had them—I just do!" He went to speak again to protest. "Let me finish!" I gasped; dropping the scythe to the ground and reaching over to take hold of his face with both of my hands. "But…I also know that whatever feelings of hatred you had for me must have come from the black blood…so I do forgive you." He stared at me as I smiled lightly. "Medusa said you were insane while under the black bloods influence, right? So…all those thoughts of wanting to kill me were during those… moments of insanity…"

"Y-yeah, I guess…" Soul said to me quietly; looking down from my eyes. "I don't remember what happens…so I had no idea—"

I leaned in, on my tippy toes, and kissed him lightly on the lips to shut him up. Though…I didn't think it worked since he tried to speak again when I pulled away. God did this man ever shut up…?

"S-Soul…is that…you?"

Soul and I both looked away from each other just as he was about to speak again, and we both found ourselves staring at the figure within the bed. Chrona had woken up… "C-Chrona," Soul stuttered out; stepping away from me to walk a little closer to his old friend. "Did…did we wake you?" He then asked quietly with worry in his voice. As I turned around and crossed my arms—a soft yet sad expression on my face—Chrona nodded slightly with a small smile. "Geez…I'm sorry Chrona, really—"

"I think you've apologized a little…much…today Soul…"

That made me smile a little too as Soul took an inward gasp before he ended up growling at himself in frustration. I heard him curse under his breath as well, but it seemed that both Chrona and I didn't care much since he had looked at me with his shaking violet eyes. "H-Hello…" I greeted as I took a step forward and waved slightly. "My name is—"

"Maka?"

I gasped lightly and stopped where I was as soon as Chrona spoke; my eyes widened only a little. He smiled, looked at Soul for a moment, and then back at me. "Soul's mentioned you to me a lot." He then said; causing me to eye Soul in the corner of my eyes. He let out a sigh and stood up straight to walk around me and sit on the edge of the bed near Chrona's legs, while he continued to lie down. I for one, though, stayed on my knees where I could speak to him at eye level. "When he's not locked up…he always comes to visit me to talk…" Chrona began again with a light smile. "W-When I saw him for the first time after all these years…I…I didn't know what to do…"

Was this a bad time to mention it…?

"Chrona…" I breathed out; causing the both of them to look my way curiously. I wasn't looking at either of them…just the blankets…but of course they knew who I was really talking to. "For awhile now…I've been trying to find something out." I then said as I kept my eyes down. Now that I was here…In front of the very person who may have caused the Evans Family tragedy…I needed to ask what they knew… "I've been trying to find out about Soul's parents' murder…" I heard Soul gasp from where he was seated and he leaned over to touch my shoulder.

"M-Maka, don't—"

"What exactly did you want to find out?"

Soul and I looked at Chrona as he lazily stared back at me with that same small smile on his face. Soul seemed to retreat his hand back as I smiled a little back. "I want to know…why Medusa did it." I then asked him as he blinked his violet colored eyes. "What Roselin did about you cutting Soul's chest open…why Medusa ended up killing Soul's parents..." I paused for a moment to breathe as I looked at Soul and I saw that he was staring at the door with piercing crimson eyes. Did he know more than his own brother…? "Chrona…what happened?"

Said man seemed to giggle lightly and I lifted a brow; seeing that Soul had shut his eyes. "That will have to be the second time I've explained this," His weak voice then said to me so I could look at him again. Chrona looked at the ceiling and seemed to think about it a little. "Soul asked me the same thing…because he was wondering too…honestly at first…I didn't know how to deal with it…" He fell silent for a moment as he took in a breath of his own, and then he looked at me again. "It's simple…Roselin sued my mother for all her money for what I did to Soul…" My eyes widened…I was finally going to know what had happened…and it was all because of a sue case? "And…because my Mother was never entirely stable…she went crazy…she left one night and broke into their home…" He took a moment to cough and I couldn't help but frown. What had this woman done to him…? "S-She demanded that they give her the money back and…they refused…so…"

"She killed them…"

"Y-Yes…"

That definitely made sense…

_"I killed Soul's parents a long time ago for money. They wouldn't give it to me, so I used force."_

That was exactly what came out of her mouth the day she confessed to us why she had killed them…she even brought the money up again during that vision a few days ago…When I had touched Rachel…the messenger…

_-"Get me my money, Maka…and I'll be glad to give Soul back." She grinned an evil smile. "After all, it was his parents who took the money in the first place~ never was it _'his'_ fault…"_

_My eyes widened as I watched Soul struggle to get out of the chair; Eruka hitting him and holding him down by the shoulders every here-and-there. At one point, he had spit out some of his own blood… "H-How much…?" I asked Medusa as I watched the one I love get tortured. Suddenly he and Eruka disappeared, and the man that had appeared before me first faded as well. As I watched my apartment come back to life, I felt the witch of the modern century's breath in my ear one last time._

_"My whole life's savings…let's leave it at that, for now~"-_

_"My whole conflict with his family started out when two little boys became friends and didn't play safe..."_

Now it all made sense. Medusa was just an unstable woman who minded her own business…until her child made a friend. That friend unfortunately was Soul…and Soul liked to be a little rebellious and liked to cause trouble. He suggested that they fight together with their family weapons—no idea why Medusa "the witch" would have a weapon—and Soul got hurt. Roselin was angry, sued Medusa and then…Medusa snapped. She went to demand for the money back but since Roselin and Sosano were such stubborn people, they got themselves killed…and since Medusa failed to kill Wes and Soul…she ended up kidnapping Wes and she tried to kill Soul. Wes escaped, we got her arrested and she got even worse because of her failure. So she kidnapped Soul instead…tortured him for days with black blood, and now…she wants to hurt…me.

That's why she kidnapped Soul…

If she truly wanted him…then he would have been dead by now.

"Thank you Chrona," I uttered out as I got to my feet and smiled down on the purple haired man in the bed. "That's…that's all I needed to know." I then said; causing him to smile at me in return—thankful that he had helped out. Now I was ready to leave…so I looked at Soul and got ready to tell him to come along, but I stopped once I noticed that his eyes were still shut. "Soul…?" I asked as I leaned over a little…he looked like he was asleep sitting up. "Soul…?" I repeated his name in attempt of getting him to wake up, but he stayed put. "Hey, wake up we need to go…" I reached my hand over to take his, but for some reason, I heard Chrona protest.

"N-No don't!"

"What…?" I looked over my shoulder and saw Chrona shaking his head; mumbling something about black blood. For a moment I just looked at him as he struggled to reach his bony hand out to me…though I turned my head to face Soul again and I saw that his eyes were opened only just a little. "Oh…Soul, come on." I then said to him; reaching over to take his hand. Both he and Chrona jumped and it frightened me to no end. But before I could tell what had really happened, the feeling of falling came over me and it seemed like I had been pulled into something.

The ground in which I had fallen onto…was tile. No longer was I standing on cement…it was tile. I opened my eyes and saw that the pattern was the same as the dream had been. The blood red and jet black checkered tiled floor definitely reminded me of the time Soul had tried to crush my skull within my dreams. I used both of my hands to help myself up onto my feet, and once I was up, I realized that I was no longer in the red sports shorts and a long sleeve white T-shirt…I was in a long black dress…a very familiar one at that…The one…that belonged to Roselin…the one that I wore when Soul kissed me for the first time.

What was going on?

I looked up from the long bowed black gown I wore and I looked around the area. Unlike the dream, there were walls with curtains, and there were blue candles lit in every other spot. There was a black piano over in the corner and when I turned around I spotted a crimson colored chair next to an old record player. Though…what was in the chair spooked me. It caused me to take a step back with wide eyes. Was that…a demon?

"Hello, Maka-Chan~" It grinned it's shark like smile my way. "It's nice to finally come to your acquaintance~"


	18. The Grigori's Weakness

_Destroying a Perfect Soul_

_Chapter 18: __The Grigori's Weakness_

_"It felt like some kind of wolf or savage dog had bit into my arm,"_

_"I could hear the flesh and muscle being torn into pieces…"_

_"…along with my heart and soul."_

* * *

"Who…_'what' _are you?" I gasped as I took another step back; frightened to see that the thing could actually speak. That little creature before me was very short—so short that his feet didn't even go over the cushion of the chair. Not only that…but his skin was red, he had two horns, big ears, big eyes and a wicked grin that reminded me of Soul's very much. He was in a small black double breasted suit and polished black dress shoes…but...

What the hell was he!

"Please, Maka." It hissed as it jumped off of the chair; only reaching about my knees in height. "Call me, Imp…" He took a step forward with that same grin on his face and began to circle me; his large creepy eyes stuck on me. "Or…little Oni-san…" He then said to me as if he was suggesting it. "Or maybe even the same thing Soul calls me…" He stopped and looked at me from behind…as if he was checking me out; which I turned to face him in utter disgust as a response. Then he spoke again…quoting Soul's little "nickname" for him. "You fucking pest~"

"Look…Imp." I simply stated as he began to circle me again. I made sure though, that I followed him so he wouldn't end up behind me again. "I'm not sure where I am…but I need to leave." I then said; now facing the chair again as he hopped back onto it. As he then got up to stand in the chair, he turned the record player on and mumbled something I didn't quiet catch. "What was that…?" The music skipped a few times, but caught it's self and began to play smoothly as he sat down and got cozy. Then…he grinned.

"He calls it the Black Room~"

"Excuse me?"

"You know…" The Imp continued as if he was no longer listening to me. "When Soul's under the Black Blood's influence, he always winds up in here… He's spoken of you many times~" He eyed me for a moment before looking away and towards the musical source. "Since I'm a demon and all…we ended up getting into the subject about you being a Grigori~" He then said to me; taking a glass of a dark substance from behind the record player. He tossed the drink around a bit before taking a sip, and then he grinned at me again. "Soul thinks of himself as a demon too…did you know that?" My eyes only narrowed as I lifted a brow and he kept grinning at me in that same creepy way. "A demon that is tainting your angelic soul…he wishes he wasn't such a burden to you"

"Burden?"

The Imp nodded. "Or, or…your plague…a curse in which is upon you—"

Though I only shook my head. "No," I then told him with an accusing finger pointed his way. "No, No, NO!" His smile faded in an instant as I took a step closer to him; a glare in my eyes and that finger still pointed at him. "He is neither a burden nor a curse," I snapped as he continued to frown. "I choose to have him beside me all the time because I love him! I'm sure if I felt like I had such weight on me, I would have left him by now—but you know what? I—"

"Why are you telling _'me' _this…" The Imp interrupted as he then took another swig of his drink—which I now could tell was wine from the smell. "He's the one who said it, not me…" He lifted his hand and waved it as if he wanted to shoo me away. "Go tell him that yourself~"

"W-What?"

"Maka!"

"What?" I screamed; throwing my arms to my sides; to make whatever was holding me, back off. Though when I opened my eyes again, I saw that I wasn't in "The Black Room" anymore…I was, in Chrona's room again. Soul looked worried, and Chrona had actually been sitting up to see if I was ok as well. I could tell my eyes were wide, so I calmed them and looked at Soul again. "The black room?" I then asked him; causing him to widen his eyes in shock. "Yeah...you're going to have to explain that one later," His eyes showed realization as I looked away and over to Chrona. "Chrona we have to go…" I then said to him as he lied himself back down. "It was nice meeting you."

I stood, grabbed the scythe and walked over to the door…but Soul stayed put. I went to call out to him, but he finally stood, though he didn't walk over to me, he made his way over to where Chrona's head was and knelt down. "Chrona…" I heard him whisper to his friend as if he was anguished. My eyes softened and I looked at the ground as I waited for him to finish. "I promise…I will find you help…" Soul then said; a little louder than the first time he spoke. "I will get you out of this hell hole as soon as I can…you'll be better in no time…"

"Th-Thank you, Soul…"

I looked back up from the floor and saw Soul nod and set his hand on Chrona's for a moment. Then he got back to his feet—whispering goodbye—and turned to face me; a blank, but somewhat sad expression on his face. "Ready?" I asked him quietly as I set my hand on the door's handle. He nodded to me and made his way over as I turned it and began to pull it open. Though since I was still facing him when it was opened, I hadn't realized what was coming. His eyes had widened and something had slapped over my mouth and pulled me back and into the hallway.

"Maka!"

I dropped the scythe and it clattered on the floor as I was held tightly against a body; Soul chasing after me, though only to be slammed into a wall by another person. "Did you really think you could hide so easily?" A voice hissed from my left and to Soul's right. The both of us looked in its direction and we saw Medusa standing between two other men who held guns in their hands. "Soul, you naughty, child. I thought I told you to stay in your room?" He only narrowed his eyes at her in a deathly manor—as if he was telling her how much he wanted to kill her, only through his eyes. To fight back, she narrowed her eyes in return in an even scarier way. He seemed to look away, but as soon as he did, she looked at me.

"Throw Mrs. Albarn into my office, and put Mr. Evans with the others~"

"Yes, Ma'am"

"N-NO!" I yelled as one of the men took hold of the scythe and another began to drag Soul away from my sight. I slipped one of my arms out of the man's grip and I reached for Soul, and he reached back, but we were pulled too far apart to get even inches within our range. It wasn't long until I had completely lost sight of him and I was thrown and tied into a chair; the scythe locked up into a closet where it seemed all the other weapons that belonged to my friends were. "Damn it, Medusa! Let us go!" I shouted as the door shut to signal that the men had left me alone with her. I was terrified, yes…but I was going to get through it and find a way out of that room…

I just needed time…

"Maka, Maka, Maka…" Medusa said, mostly to herself, as she took a step forward and away from the door to begin walking around me and over to her desk. "Do you know why I'm doing this…?"

"Yes," I answered bluntly as she opened a drawer to dig through. She seemed to pause for a moment, but soon, she continued. "You were angry with the Evans family…" I said to her as she continued what she was doing; her snake like eyes down into the drawer. "They sued you for what Chrona did to Soul…and you wanted your money back," Her eyes snapped up and looked into mine as I gave her a confident stare. It was then, when I realized that the same snake from her office at the school was in its new cage behind her on a table. And strangely…it was looking at me too. "T-They wouldn't give you the money, so you killed them…and since Soul and Wes lived…you had to kill them too."

She cracked a smile. "Very good…" She then said to me as she finally found what she had been looking for. She pulled out something with her right hand and used her left to shut the drawer. It was a syringe with a black substance inside…She flicked the needle, let some of it squirt out and walked over to bend over a little in front of me so she could look at me eye level. "Do you know what this is?" She asked me as she held up the syringe in my face. I made sure to move my face away from it, but I definitely couldn't keep my eyes away from it. It looked like blood…but it was black…

"T-The black blood…?"

"I'm sure Soul told you all about it~" Medusa hissed as she stood up straight and turned to walk over to the door to open it. There was a man just outside it and he looked over his shoulder to take the syringe from her. "Go give him the whole dosage…see if his friends like it." She told him; causing the man to nod to her and walk away. She then shut the door and looked at me again with a narrow grin. "Tell me, Maka, do you know what Black Blood does?" Beside's create a little black room within your soul that has a little demon living within it…No idea.

"No…I don't…"

Her smile seemed to fade, though she did look interested in our "conversation". She crossed her arms and leaned on the wall; her snake like gaze upon me and me alone. "Black Blood is something I've been working on since before Chrona and Soul's little "mishap"…" She began as she tapped her arm with one of her fingers. "It's the source…of insanity. It's what will bring the demons back into the world." Her smile widened but kept its narrow features. "It makes you invulnerable to pain, it heals you quickly, the user's speed and strength is enhanced by a great amount! It will turn whoever it affects into a blood thirsty monster, which will tear anything before it into shreds. It erases all fear in the user…and it prevents hesitation and weakness of will!" She seemed to remember something, and made a scowl. "As long as you have the right person to test it on at least…"

"What happened to Chrona?"

Medusa's stare fell upon me again and she narrowed her eyes. "Chrona always became so violent…" She muttered out to me with a shrug before looking to the side of her office. "But never did he want to destroy anything really…" She then said to me. "Some of my other experiments entered a sort of…crazed and demented euphoria—" She looked at me with a flash of a grin. "That's what I expect you to be like—"

"No way are you infecting me with that crap!" I shouted; causing her to cringe and take a step forward as I glared at her.

"Like I would anyway…" She then said to me with a scowl. "Once the black blood would enter your body, that damn Grigori soul of yours would purify it in an instant." I gasped as she stood up straight again and glared at me. "That's right…I know about your soul and it's ability to give you the power to look into one else's soul." She then said to me with a hiss. "I even know how to destroy such a perfect thing…it's simple, you should know exactly how," My eyes widened greatly as she looked at me with serious eyes. She was right…My Mom told Soul and I how a Grigori soul could be destroyed…

_-"Grigori…?" Soul breathed to her in question; eyeing me only for a second. "What's a…Grigori soul?" We both looked at him and he shrugged stupidly. "I had no idea there was more than one type of soul!"_

_Mom and I laughed and she led the both of us over to a table and a few chairs to sit down. As soon as we were in our seats there were glasses of water filled for the three of us by a waitress Soul couldn't find familiar. "Well, a Grigori soul is a rare type that she and I both have." My Mom said to him as soon as he was done trying to find out who the waitress was. "It's said to be the rarest…the perfect soul. In the past, Witches and Demons set out to kill all the people with Grigori souls, and they all succeeded. That's why they're so rare."_

_"And that just makes me nervous."_

_We both looked at Soul for a moment and noticed his expression turn a little grim, but as soon as I set my hand on his, it went away long enough for my mom to continue. "Don't worry. The Witches and Demons disappeared remember?" She asked him with a light smile. "Anyway, the stories say that a Grigori soul is in the shape of a normal soul, but it has wings." Soul lifted a brow and looked at me silently; probably wishing that this could all be proven with the special ability I had. "It was said that the people with the Grigori souls were angels who had been sent to earth to protect something. And my guess is that something Maka was sent to protect was you, Soul."_

_"Wait, wait, wait." Soul began as he held up one of his hands; causing my Mom and I to look at him curiously. "You said that Maka's soul is…"perfect", right?" He then asked her with a quotation of his fingers; causing her to nod in response. "Does that mean…its indestructible, because you just said that Witches and Demons killed these "angels" a long time ago…what the hell happened when you and Maka got them…"_

_My Mom smiled to him and after taking a drink of her water she set the glass down and set her hands in her lap. "Well, a Grigori soul is perfect, but its not indestructible." She then said to him; keeping the smile on. "The Witches were able to destroy them by stealing away what it was they were supposed to protect. That's the only way to destroy such a perfect soul. To make them feel as if they have failed in their mission of being a guardian. Oh, and well, they weren't '_all'_ killed…Maka and I have ancestors that survived. So we inherited the special soul. That's why the both of us have such powers. The ability to see a soul, and the ability to communicate within the mind and soul with our lovers…you do that right?"-_

Eyes wide, I subconsciously repeated the very words my Mother had told us. "The Witches were able to destroy them by stealing away what it was they were supposed to protect." It was barely a whisper, but Medusa heard it as if I was speaking loudly. "That's the only way to destroy such a perfect soul…" I think I felt something in the back of my throat as I gulped down what was left in my dry mouth. "…To make them feel as if they have failed in their mission of being a guardian."

"Which…you have," Medusa said to me; her grin returning from behind those narrow lips. "Haven't you Maka?" She then asked; causing my eyes to widen. She was a witch descendant…and I had a Grigori soul…Meaning…she was practically _'born'_ to kill me… "This is what I've been doing…" I heard her tell me as I stared at the door with wide eyes. "If I truly wanted Soul to die, I would have killed him by now…instead, I made sure that I tortured him so that you could get tortured yourself. As an "angel" the thing you have been sent here to protect is slowly dying before your eyes by the hands of the Black Blood and I…your "perfect" soul, is deteriorating…I'm destroying it as easily as it is to break a little toy."

"Sh-Shut up!"

She knelt down and snatched my chin up within her hands to turn my head to face her. "No," She then hissed; her hands tightening around my chin so my lips would pucker and my cheeks would hurt. A tear escaped from my right eye and she grinned even more before throwing my head back so the chair's legs would clatter about on the ground from the sudden movement. Then, standing up straight, she fixed some of her disgusting blond hair before grinning and turning around. "I'm going to go watch Soul tear your friends apart now~ …Hope to see you dead from a broken soul when I get back."

"MEDUSA!" I screamed at the top of my lungs as soon as she shut the door behind her and left. I glared at it with a deadly stare and firmly pressed my feet onto the floor; putting all of my strength into my legs and into the momentum of leaning forward. I lifted the chair off of the ground even though I was still tied into it, and I slammed myself and the chair against the door; screaming out her name once more. "MEDUSA! DON'T YOU DARE TOUCH THEM!" Since my hands were tied behind me and the chair, I tried to lift my foot to turn the handle, but it wouldn't matter…the handle was round and it was impossible to turn it with sneakered feet. "MEDUSA!"

I felt something snap within me and I shut my eyes and slammed my forehead against the door; my hands behind me shaking from the moment. "Shit…." I uttered out as I then slid down to the floor in an awkward but doable position since I was still in the chair. "Damn it…" I then said to myself; tears running down my anguished face as I stared at the dampening floor. "I-I'm sorry Soul…" Not a second passed before I heard something odd. Like a something being turned…like a bolt or a screw. Since I had shut my eyes, I opened them again and tried to sit up as much as I could; looking around for that noise I couldn't quite make out. Then, finally, I figured out where it came from.

It was the large vent in the ceiling right above Medusa's desk.

The noise stopped as I watched the vent from over by the door. I saw a pair of hands appear on the other side and the fingers laced between the vents bars and, with a quiet crack of metal, the vent was lifted up and out of my sight. My flooding eyes narrowed and I watched as the person who owned those hands jumped out of the air duct and landed on the desk with perfect posture and accuracy. He held two guns, wore a black suit that was grazed with some desert sand, and his hair was black and white...and I knew those golden eyes anywhere…

"K-kid…"

Said man hopped off of the desk and set his two guns down before making his way over to me. "Maka-San, are you alright?" He then asked me as he quickly started to untie the ropes that had me held into the chair. I managed to nod at him as he figured out how to free me. Then…what he said next surprised me. "I heard everything," My eyes widened—causing one more tear to fall—and finally my hands were loose and I was free to get up. He set a hand on my shoulder and gave me support to stand, and he frowned my way. "Maka-San, I'm sorry…" I only shook my head. "I know exactly where to find them…they're just down the hall…"

"Th-That hall is probably plagued with guards…"

Kid shook his head as soon as I spoke and stepped to the side to point up at the hole in the ceiling. "It's easier to get around in the air ducts…" He then told me as he took my hand and led me over to the desk. "Here, I'll give you a lift," He climbed onto the desk and helped me up, and then he crouched down a little with both of his hands up so he could boost me up to the ceiling. "Try and do it as symmetrically as possible please…" I heard him whine as I set my right foot on his hands and my hands on his shoulders. "W-We will come back for the weapons later," I then heard him say as I reached up for the air ducts opening; his hands below me, pushing my body up so I could reach better. "…A little…a little more to the right…lean more to the right!"

"Quiet down…" I muttered to him as he began to whine about my balance on his hands. My head appearing in the duct, I used both of my hands to push my body all the way up and then I pulled my legs up and spread them slightly so I wouldn't fall back down through the hole and on top of Kid. Then, I made my way around it so I was to his left and I reached down with both hands; making sure I wouldn't end up falling once he had them. He stood up straight after grabbing his guns and handed them to me so I could set them aside. And when I did, I lent both my arms to him again. He took each within his hands and I pulled him as far up as I could. It wasn't until my back was pressing against the roof of the duct that he could pull the rest of himself up with ease.

"Is this what you have been doing?"

Kid took the vent and put it back in its place as I waited behind him. "Yes…" He then answered as he took his guns and then began crawling forward; me not too far behind. "It's much smoother than all those ups and downs and rights and lefts that you meet in the halls." He then said; the duct getting a little narrower. "To get down, all I have to do is use my hands and feet to go down the vertical vents quietly…and as long as I'm quiet, I won't be running into any guards and get captured now will I?" I couldn't help but smile lightly…he was such a smart guy. Wait until the students at the school find out their teacher was crawling around in the air ducts of an insane woman's secret lair with two guns in his hands…That should be interesting.

Best Economics Teacher Ever!

"Here…"

I looked up at Kid as he stopped on the other side of a vent and bent his elbows slightly so he could look into the room we were above. I bent my elbows to look too, but I could only see one half of the room while he was looking at the other. And the half that I could see only had Soul in it…he sitting in a chair, his head was down and his hands looked like they were shaking in his lap. My eyes widened as I remembered Medusa's words.

_"Go give him the whole dosage…see if his friends like it."_

"Soul!" I called out as quietly as I could so I wouldn't cause too much noise. He didn't even budge as Kid looked up at me in a panic. "Soul hold on, I'm coming."

"Maka-San," Kid hissed as he reached over and threw a hand over my mouth. "Please…try not to be too loud," He then said to me; causing me to nod so he could pull his hand away and reach into his back pocket. I watched silently but with anticipation as he then pulled out a screw driver and began to unscrew the vent from the air duct. I lifted a brow as he shifted to the next one. I guess he caught me doing it since he had spoken. "To answer your questioning expression," He began as he finished on the second screw. "I stole this from one of the rooms I had found myself in…I had to have used it to get up here in the first place…"

"I see…"

As soon as he finished the fourth one, he put the screw driver back into his pocket and took the vent within his hands. Then, he pulled up the metal cage and set it aside; mumbling something about ladies being first. So I nodded, prepared myself for the drop, and fell through the hall and into the room. As soon as I landed on the floor, I heard a yelp in surprise from beside me and I looked to my left. The half of the room that I couldn't see was where everyone else was sitting. Liz, Patty, Tsubaki and Black*Star all sat in a row of chairs side by side and faced Soul; tied like I had been even though Soul was not.

"M-Maka!"

"Kiddo!"

As soon as I had moved out of the way, Kid had jumped out of the ceiling as well and Liz looked like she couldn't have ever been happier. I alone was just happy to see that she was alright since the last time I had seen her she had fallen down a flight of stairs and had injured herself. With a smile of his own, Kid breathed out her name and made his way over to begin untying her from the chair as I ran over to untie Patty while she whistled and kicked her legs around; as if it was all just a silly game.

"Finally someone comes for the great Black*Star!" Black*Star obviously shouted from his chair as Kid moved on to untie him as well. I glared at him in the corner of my eyes as I set the younger Thompson sister free. Then, I stood up and began making my way over to Tsubaki to untie her, but on the way, I made sure to slap the blue haired man in the back of the head. "H-hey! Maka!"

"Thank you Maka,"

"Of course," I simply said to Tsubaki as I set her free as well. Kid mentioned something about the air ducts to the others and he began to help them get into it, first starting with Patty. Though, I looked at Soul and noticed that he hadn't made a single movement since Kid and I had arrived. "What…what's wrong with him?" I muttered out as I turned to face him fully.

"One of Medusa's goons came in earlier," Liz began as she took a place beside me to look at Soul as I watched him tighten and loosen his shaking fists continuously. "They had a syringe full of some strange black stuff…" She then said; causing me to look at her quickly with wide eyes. "I don't know what it was…but Soul did…and he made that obvious." Her eyes narrowed as she crossed her arms. "He kept shouting and they had to hold him down in the chair…he punched a guy in the face, almost broke the syringe, but they ended up injecting it anyway…"

"Ever since, he's been shaking, and he's been dead silent…" Tsubaki finished; causing Liz and I to look over as Black*Star helped Kid up into the air duct system; mentioning that he'd be last to go up since he could do it without help. "He hasn't even looked up," She seemed like she was about to cry. "We've been calling out to him to see if he was ok…but he just...he just won't answer us…"

_"It will turn whoever it affects into a blood thirsty monster, which will tear anything before it into shreds. It erases all fear in the user…and it prevents hesitation and weakness of will!"_

'Shit,' I thought as I walked over to Soul quickly. I knelt down in front of him and snatched up his hands within mine quickly. "Soul…I know your still there…" I said to him with a slight hesitation. His hands stopped shaking within my own and he barely lifted his head to look at me in the eyes. I gulped…whatever was happening to him…it was happening fast. "This will where off right?" I asked him as his eyes seemed to be bloodshot. "We'll come back in a few minutes…and you'll be fine…right?" His hands somehow found a way to grab mine instead and he squeezed them almost too tightly for myself to bear. And I swear…I thought I heard him snarl like an animal.

"…Maka…"

"W-What…?"

"Leave this building…" Soul growled as he let go of my hands and began to shake again. My eyes widened and I began to mumble in protest before reaching for his hands again. But, catching me by surprise, his hands moved and took hold of my neck; causing me to scream out in surprise and pain. "The dose was ten times larger than normal…I-I don't know how long I…I will be l-like this!" He shook me a little and I could hear Black*Star yelling from right behind me to make Soul let go of me. "Maka, leave…this building!" My eyes widened even more as his narrowed in a deadly manor. "Leave before I kill you!"


	19. Black and Red

_Destroying a Perfect Soul_

_Chapter 19: Black and Red_

_"It felt like some kind of wolf or savage dog had bit into my arm,"_

_"I could hear the flesh and muscle being torn into pieces…"_

_"…along with my heart and soul."_

* * *

"BLACK*STAR PUT ME DOWN!" I screamed loudly as the blue haired man grabbed me and pulled me away from Soul's grasp. I wasn't sure what was happening but, I had this intense need to be beside him at the moment, but Black*Star wouldn't let me! "He's standing up! Look he's fine!" I shouted as he stopped beneath the ventilation system. As we stopped, Soul slowly got to his feet and began to walk over. "Look! He's coming with us!" I then said happily with a large smile as I reached my hands out to him. Why wouldn't Black*Star let me stay with Soul in the first place? He was fine! He was walking, and he was going to come with us!

"Going up!"

"NO!"

Black*Star bent his knees and then straightened them quickly to jump, and as he did so, he threw me up into the air duct so Kid could grab me and pull me aside so the blue haired man could get up there too. And as soon as he was, he grabbed the vent and put it down to block Soul out. "What are you doing?" I screamed; obviously in a fit of both panic and rage. "He wants to come with us!" I yelled as I hit Black*Star over and over again with my fists; the others just watching silently as Kid grabbed his guns again.

"Maka!" Black*Star yelped as he grabbed my wrists to stop my hitting. "Could you not tell?" He then asked me loudly as I cried and moved my arms around in an attempt to keep hitting him. "He's not the same! Whatever that shit was that they gave him, it wasn't normal, and it sure as hell wasn't medicine!" Finally I stopped moving within his grasp and I forced myself to look away from his large eyes. Though he shook me by the arms, and caused me to look up into them anyway. "Like you said just a few seconds ago…we'll come back and see if it wore off…"

"B-But…"

"He wasn't doing alright at all…He threatened to kill you just now, Maka."

"H-He did?"

Black*Star seemed surprised and the others fell silent as I stared at him in puzzlement. "Y-Yeah…" He uttered out as he let go of my hands and put on his own look of confusion. "Maka…he…he was choking you…" He then told me with wide eyes of his own. "Like…you know…like he was trying to strangle you,"

"He was?"

"There's no time to be sitting around here," Kid said to us as he began to crawl down the ducts and towards the office that Medusa was holding me in earlier. I watched as the others began to follow him down the shaft, but with Black*Star behind me, I stayed put. How come I couldn't even remember that I had been threatened by the very man I loved? How did I not realize that he was strangling me? …Quietly, I looked down into the room through the vent; only to gasp when I saw that Soul was standing right below it but with his head down. I wanted to call out to him, but Black*Star nudged me forward.

"Maka, go…we'll come back for him, the great Black*star promises you that."

"The amazing Black*Star better keep his word…"

"You can count on it!"

"A-Alright…" I stuttered; taking my eyes away from Soul and moving on down the air duct shaft. The blue haired P.E teacher and coach followed me silently as we got closer to the others while they jumped down into the office one by one. Kid was about to go last, but when he saw us, he let me go before him. "Thanks…" I said to him as I jumped down into the office with the girls. Patty helped me off of the desk while her sister pried open the closet where the weapons were hiding. And as Liz did that, Black*Star and Kid landed on the desk side by side and hopped off at the same time.

"Got it!"

I flinched since I had been looking away, and turned to see that Liz was holding the scythe out to me with a small grin on her face. "Thanks…" I breathed as I took it. Patty jumped into the closet and grabbed two pistols, and then she handed one of them to her sister and jumped right back out with a large smile spread across her face. Since Kid already had his two pistols, Black*Star reached in and took out his long narrow black sword that he borrowed from Tsubaki a second time. She on the other hand reached inside and grabbed the double ended chain scythe that she had before as well.

"…All set?"

"Yep!"

I nodded and turned to face the doorway while Liz, Patty and Kid each made their way over to it. They stood in front of it in a row, him in the middle for the symmetrical balance and Liz, on the right side, reached over cautiously and swung the door open quickly. She then leaned back and she and the other two shot their guns and hit the first four men they could see—since Kid had two guns after all. Each one hit doubled over and fell to the ground before they could realize that the door had opened and we all charged through that doorway as quickly as possible. Two more men were at the end of the hall and seemed to realize we were there a little late. They raised their guns and shot at us all, though once I saw Kid duck down, I did as well since I had been right behind him. The scythe shook within my grasp as I heard something ricochet right off of it and I knew it had to have been a bullet. Both men fell over and the Shinigami's son stood back up and continued on with the walk.

When did he learn to shoot like that?

As we walked down the hall towards the door at the end Liz and Patty stood at each side of me with their pistols up in alert. We passed another two hallways on each side and they both had at least ten of Medusa's goons in them. Both of the Thompson sisters began firing their pistols from each side of me and I couldn't help but cringe from the sound. Kid looked over his shoulder as they did so, and as soon as they're guns called out for more ammo, they ducked down he moved me back to take my place in between them. Holding up both his right and left pistols, he shot in both directions at the same time right above their heads. It was like watching a movie…had they…practiced that sort of situation?

Once again… Best Economics Teacher Ever!

"I'm out."

Both women nodded and pulled out two more pistol magazines from within their jackets and tossed them up just as soon as Kid undid the ones that were already in his. As he did so, he then threw the new magazines in without even touching them before beginning to shoot along with the sisters again. "Go forward and see if Soul's alright!" I heard him shout as he shot at the men down the halls. "We'll hold them off, go under my arms in a symmetrical fashion, please!"

Rolling my eyes, I tossed the scythe right over his head and it landed in the hallway on the other side of him. Then Tsubaki and I both ran under each of his arms quickly so we wouldn't end up getting shot too. Then Black*Star ran over by sliding and showing off with a limbo under the Shinigami's arm. I picked the scythe up again and the three of us ran over to the doorway that had been guarded by another two men with guns. They had already been shooting at us, but just like in the movies, the bad guys always have bad aim.

"MOVE!" I screamed as I shoved the back side of the blade into their stomachs; causing them to drop the guns and begin coughing in agony. Black*Star jumped right over me and landed on the mens' backs as I held them against the wall and watched them hang there like little dolls. Tsubaki stood back to back with me with her chain scythe up and at the ready in case something was to happen to Kid and the Sisters. And as she did that, Black*Star crouched down—still on their backs—and took the door handle in his hands. "Soul!" I called out over his shoulder and the racket of the shooting behind me. Since there was nothing for me to shove the two men into, they fell, Black*Star landed on his feet and I relaxed the scythe back to my side again. "Is…Is he still in there?"

For some reason…he shook his head. "No…he's not…it's empty."

My eyes widened and I felt like screaming. "YOU LIAR!" I screamed just how I wanted to; causing him to turn around in surprise. I heard Tsubaki gasp behind me just as I did and, she tried to reach out to me as I made my way over to the doorway. He was shaking his head, but I still shoved him aside and looked into the room. And…he was right. The room was empty…the chairs were still there…but two of them were torn to pieces. But…He promised…

"Maka, I—"

"You promised we'd come back for him!" I shouted as I turned around; causing him to duck so he could dodge the swinging blade. I then shoved my finger in his face and glared. "You promised we'd come back for him and look!" I pointed back into the empty room so he'd see that no one was in there. "HE'S! NOT! THERE—"

"Maka, we did come back for him…" Black*Star said to me as the gun shots finally calmed down the hall. I just kept glaring at him as he was backed into a wall. "He…he just left on his own." I don't know why I did it, but I ended up putting the back side of the blade against his neck and I began to grit my teeth. "Maka, I still brought you here! It's not like I told him to leave!" I pushed the blade in even further even though it proved to be doing nothing but choke him a little.

"MAKA STOP!"

Someone snatched my hand quickly enough for me to lose my grip on the scythe shaft, and the weapon fell to the ground with a clatter. "Please Maka, be reasonable!" Tsubaki said to me in a panic as Kid, Liz and Patty took their places to protect us incase more were to come. Was I crying again…? "You're going nuts because you've been worrying about him too much!" Her indigo eyes looked into mine for a moment before looking over to her boyfriend, who at the moment was just a little frightened to speak. "Look at yourself…you just threatened one of your childhood friends because Soul went off somewhere by someone else's control. It's not Black*Star's fault, and yet you're acting as if it is…"

"I am…?"

Tsubaki gave me a dumbfounded look before letting go of my wrists to let out a sigh. "What's happening to you…?" I heard her then whisper; mostly to herself though.

"She's just scared," Kid answered from behind her; causing her to look over her shoulder at him as he kept in his protective stance. "So scared that she's not really looking at and paying attention to what's around her." I looked at him as well as he spoke and he looked over his shoulder and at me. "She doesn't realize that what she believes is not true. She didn't even seem to remember that Soul had been strangling her."

"I _'am'_ scared." I breathed; causing them all to look at me with curious eyes. I kept mine on Kid's though and I gulped down the lump in my throat. "I'm scared…that something will happen and I won't be able to see Soul ever again…" I began to cry again and I shook slightly as if I was standing in a cool breeze. "I'm scared that we won't be able to get married…I'm scared that we won't have any children together…and I'm scared…that he won't love me anymore when we're through with all of this…"

"He will Maka…" Liz said with a smile over her shoulder; Patty beside her nodding in agreement. "There's no way he can leave you so easily…"

"YEP!" Patty said to me with a thumbs up over her shoulder. "Soul-Kun loves you so much that…" For a moment she was silent, but I knew why. She was thinking about what to say… "That he'd buy you a hundred giraffes if he had the money!" She then began to laugh really loudly from her statement and we all couldn't help but smile—even me. I wasn't sure that Soul would actually buy me a hundred giraffes…but in Patty language, that meant at least a thousand books for me…

Sighing, I turned around and knelt down to pick up the scythe again. "I'm sorry Black*Star," I then said to him as I stood up straight; causing him to smile a large stupid grin right back. I gave him a small grin and turned around to face the others. "Alright let's go find him," I then said before shutting my eyes. I took in a deep breath and concentrated before opening them again, and as soon as I did, I caught sight of a group of soul's coming from the hall to the left. "Down there, there are more people in the left hall!"

"Damn it!" Kid cursed as he prepared to make his way over, but something had passed by us all at high speeds and as soon as it turned the left corner, I knew it was Black*Star. "What is he—"

"Kid, let's go!"

"R-Right."

Liz shoved him forward so they could all begin running down the hall with Tsubaki and I right behind. I watched Black*Star's soul carefully as I had the black haired woman in front of me lead the way. It looked like he was circling the group and going through it many different times. Each soul fell to the floor and as soon as we turned the corner to see what was going on, the blue haired man had them all passed out on the ground while he stood in the middle. Man…when I thought Kid's class would think he's cool…wait till _'Black*Star's'_ students see what their teacher is like.

"Did you…kill them?"

"No!" Black*Star said to us with a shake of his head as he put the sword back into it's sheaf. "I hit them all with the dull side of the sword and knocked them out…that's it." He then blurted out loudly; setting his hands on his hips with a big smile. Tsubaki, beside me, smiled and made sure he got a nice smooch before we continued our way down the dark hall. We came to two different flights of stairs and I stopped. Why couldn't I see Soul's soul?

"We need to go down Maka! We're on the second floor!"

I shook my head at Liz and I looked over my shoulder at her. Somehow, I got to the front of the group. "No!" I then said to her. "We're looking for Soul, not trying to escape." I then said to her, taking my eyes off of her so I could look around for any glimmer of hope…any sign that I could see his soul. "Come on Soul…where are you…" My eyes moved downward and I saw a flash of something very familiar but different at the same time. It made sense if it was him because he was acting differently and he did have a dose of the black blood… "Never mind…" I said to Liz; causing her to look over to me as I looked away and forward again. "We're going down."

As soon as we were on the first floor I could feel the difference in the width of the hall. It was at least as wide as a street's car lane, and I was able to actually swing the scythe. And that was exactly what I did as soon as I got down there. There were a few men and I swung at them. I missed them, but I still had them in between blade and wall since I had jabbed the end up it into the cement that made up the hall. They were scared…so scared that they dropped the guns to the floor. Then, I pulled on the shaft and pressed against it's right side to make it tear through the wall and move towards their heads. Both of them yelled in fear and moved away from me—only to be shoved against the wall by the two sisters; both of their guns in their shoulders. They grinned, and then shot; causing the men to scream and fall over to the ground.

"Hey...that wasn't cool."

All of us looked away from the two men on the ground and looked to my right and down the hall opposite of the stairs. And there he was…leaning up against the wall, his arms crossed and one of his feet up and against the wall while the other was on the ground. Soul was right there…in his torn suit, his messy hair...it was still him and yet, at the same time…it wasn't him. His soul felt very different even though it had been familiar at the same time…and still…I didn't even realize he was there the whole time.

"Not…cool…?"

Soul grinned and pushed away from the wall in a very odd way—as if he was drunk, as if he was clumsy. Her set his hands in his pockets and began to make his way over to us slowly; his nice shoes making a tapping sound as he did so. "Yeah…" He then said to us all as he looked up with his crimson colored eyes and his toothy grin. I took a step back. He looked different too. His eyes were bloodshot and wide…and his grin was over exaggerated…it reminded me of that face he had given me in that vision I had back in the bathroom… "What did they ever do to you?"

"Soul…are you ok?"

"Never better~" He answered with a chime in his voice as he stepped over; causing me to take another step back. Tsubaki seemed to sense something was wrong with how he looked at me since she had lunged forward to stand before me in protection; causing the grin on Soul's face to disappear in an instant. She seemed to be confident, but once he gave her that look—the one that represented an annoyance far from being sane—she seemed to gulp. "What do you think you're doing, eh?" He then asked; reaching over with his left hand. I heard her gasp lightly and before any of us could react, he had grabbed her hair and yanked on it so hard to her right that she had screamed and had fallen over. "That's better~"

"SOUL!" I shouted as Black*Star knelt down beside her sobbing form to comfort her. The white haired man before me watched Tsubaki as she cried and he began to chuckle darkly. "…Soul?" As soon as I said his name again, he looked my way again with the same toothy grin and stepped forward.

"I'll take that!" He shouted; grabbing one of my pigtails within his hands and pulling the scythe out of my grasp. The other three, Kid, Liz and Patty, shouted out my name as he did so but he only looked at them with the same grin. "It's mine anyway!" He then yelled; using my hair to throw me at them. Thank goodness Kid caught me but as soon as he did, the blade of the scythe had crashed against the ground right in between my legs. Soul chuckled again in a demonic matter and stood over me with what seemed like glowing eyes. This was it…he was trying to kill me…

Soul was going to kill me.

_-"You know…" The Imp continued as if he was no longer listening to me. "When Soul's under the Black Blood's influence, he always winds up in here… He's spoken of you many times~"-_

"I know how to stop him," I said to them all; though mostly to myself. As Soul lifted the large bladed pole out of the ground, I got to my feet and crouched. "I…I think," I then uttered out before lunging forward to tackle him down to the ground. As the scythe fell, Black*Star reached over and grabbed it so it wouldn't hit anyone and as soon as I got the chance, I held Soul's arms down took a deep breath and slammed my forehead against his as hard as I possibly could. Did it hurt? Yes…it hurt…_'a lot'_. The impact was so strong that my forehead, and his forehead had both begun to bleed; mixing together both our black and red blood.

When I opened my eyes though, the pain was gone, and I was standing up. The side of my head didn't hurt anymore either from when Soul had pulled on my pigtail…and I could hear jazz music drifting through the air; along with a muffled conversation going on somewhere in front of me and the curtain that was in my face. "…Soul?" I breathed out as I reached foreword with a gloved hand to push the curtain aside; revealing the dull light inside the room. The talking came to an abrupt stop and as soon as I waltzed in, I saw the very man I was looking for, sitting in the large crimson chair facing the Imp who sat on the piano bench. Though, his crimson eyes weren't facing the little demon at all…they were lost in mine.

"Maka…" Soul breathed out so quietly that I could barely hear it. I frowned and looked away from him as the silence lingered through the air…but, after letting out a breath, I made my way over to him, now seeing that his suit wasn't torn anymore and his hair was clean and fluffy…and then I bent over when I was close enough and lifted his head just enough to kiss him. Though, as soon as we parted, he looked away from me in shame. "I…I didn't deserve that…"

"Did to."

Soul's eyes shot open and darted over to me as I gave him a warming smile. I had a feeling he knew what was coming next. "Soul…" I began as he opened his mouth to speak. He shut it again and I took the moment to sit on his lap and put my arms around his neck. "No matter how spoiled of a brat you were growing up…no matter what you've done in the past…" I was close enough to his face that I could probably make him go cross eyed… "You deserve _'everything' _that I give you." I think he may have smiled…

"Even you're Maka-Chops…?"

"Even my Maka-Chops…" I said back to him; shutting my eyes and leaning in again to kiss him once more but in a more passionate manner. I might have heard the Imp groan from over by the piano, but he was definitely ignored as Soul leaned into me with his hands around my back. Even though we hadn't kissed like this for days, I felt like it had been years since last we officially touched lips. I put both of my hands on the sides of his head and accepted his tongue and then I gladly returned the favor as he leaned over further and further. You may have guessed, but we fell off the chair and landed on the black and red tiled floor with a thud…and it snapped me back to reality. We were just wasting time, and I needed to snap him out of the insanity he was under so I could take him home with me! I hated to break the kiss so suddenly, but I had to.

"S-Soul!"

"Mmm?"

Soul had begun to kiss my now exposed neck as he lie on top of me in the Black Room floor. It felt so good…so tingly and electrifying! But…I needed him to stop. "Stop…I-I need to ta-aaa…" I lost my train of thought once he began to bite at and nibble the skin near my collarbone. He knew that was a sensitive—though _very'_pleasurable—area…and I was beginning to think he did it so he could shut me up. "Nnn…S-Soul…s-stop…" I moaned; reaching over to run my hand through his clean white hair. But instead of continuing with that action, I pulled on it and I _'forced' _him to look at me in the eye. "Were you even listening to me?"

"…kinda."

"Wha-SOUL!" I sat up quickly and shoved him off of me in the process so I could stand up and brush off the dress that I was in. I then looked at him and narrowed my eyes as he sat up to rub his head with a pout. "Look…I came here to do something and I'm not leaving until that happens…" I then said; setting my hands on my hips and turning at the heel to look at the Imp. Then, as Soul stayed put on the ground, I pointed at him with my left hand and glared at the little demon. "How do I snap him out of the Black Bloods "influence"? He's already hurt Tsubaki, and he's nearly chopped me in half! I want _'my'_ Soul back right _'now'_!"

"I did what?"

I gave Soul a quick glance before looking at the Imp again…though he only stared at me. "Change him back." I sneered as I took a step forward in his direction. Behind me Soul stood up and brushed off his pants as I approached the demon sitting on the piano bench. "IMP! STOP THIS NONSENSE NOW!" I reached forward and I grabbed the Imp by the collar and lifted him up with one hand and I lifted the other to prepare myself to punch him; though the pianist behind me grabbed my wrist and pulled it back.

"Maka, stop!" Soul said loudly as he then took the Imp out of my hands to hold it by the suit himself. I found it odd that the demon actually hadn't said anything yet and he was literally behind held by the neck at that point. "Look…as much as I want to punch this guy in the face too, he can't help." He told me as I crossed my arms. The Imp hung from his collar and rolled his eyes, crossed his arms and put on an annoyed expression—in which I didn't think was possible… "I just have to wait for it to wear off…he's just something that was created when I was first exposed to it…he's annoying…but honestly he's useless..."

"Thanks Soul…"

After hearing the sarcasm of the tiny demon, Soul gave him a quick look before tossing it over his shoulder; causing me to gape at it as it disappeared behind a curtain. "Medusa usually gives me just a few drops when she tests me and that lasts like four or five minutes at least…but," He stepped closer to me as he set one of his hands on his chest as though he was trying to protest something. "Today…I got the whole syringe—it was full! I have no idea how long that will last—"

"It can be interrupted."

Soul and I looked over his shoulder and watched the Imp walk over to the chair from behind the curtains as he brushed off the little suit he wore. Then he climbed up onto the cushions and turned his body to face us with his toothy grin. What did he mean by "interrupt it"? …Though, sure enough, he answered my question as if he read my mind. "If the moment is powerful enough…" The Imp began as we both faced him fully. "Then Soul will snap right out of it."

"Soul…I thought you said he was useless…"

"…maybe he isn't after all."


	20. The Beauty and The Beast

_Destroying a Perfect Soul_

_Chapter 20: The Beauty and The Beast_

_"It felt like some kind of wolf or savage dog had bit into my arm,"_

_"I could hear the flesh and muscle being torn into pieces…"_

_"…along with my heart and soul."_

* * *

_-"Mama?"_

_The tall sandy blond turned around and looked down on my small form. I pulled on her long skirt with one hand as the other hand held my doll up from dragging on the floor. "Yes, dear?" Kami, my Mama, asked as she set down her cooking supplies and turned around to crouch down to my height. "What is it?" She then said; a sweet smile spread across her lips. I looked at the floor for a moment before looking back up at her._

_"Why are you and Papa together?"_

_She seemed confused…but eventually, she sat down in front of me and let me sit down to. Then she took my took my doll, set it in my lap, and took my hands. "Papa and I are together because we love each other," She then told me as she continued to smile my way. I put on a look of confusion since I hadn't understood such a thing and she let out a soft laugh. "It's like…how Repunzel and the Prince fell in love~" She then said to me; causing a smile to spread across my own lips. Now I knew what she was talking about. "I was grounded and yet, he kept coming to me and one day we both snuck out of my house and spent so much time together~"_

_"Then you kissed and had a happily ever after?"_

_Mama laughed and gave me a shrug. "I guess so~" She then said to me as I kept a smile on my face. "Almost every story has a happy ending after the kiss right?" I stood up and nodded before picking up my doll. She was absolutely right! In every fairy tale, the prince and the princess share a kiss in the end and live happily ever after! Even my Mama and Papa did! Just like Repunzel! And when I was going to get older, the same thing was going to happen to me. I just knew it!_

_._

_._

_._

_…too bad I was so young and naïve then…-_

"…a powerful Moment?"

Once Soul spoke, I dropped my arms from being crossed above my chest and I narrowed my eyes at the Imp who looked at Soul only for a moment before looking at me again. "Explain…this "powerful moment"…" I then said as I put my hands on my hips; ready to walk over and pummel the answer out of the thing. Though, Soul grabbed my arm and pulled me back over with a shake of his head.

"Just be patient with him, Maka…"

After I pulled my arm away from him, I crossed my arms again and looked at the demon in the chair with narrow eyes. "Well…" The Imp began as he took out another random glass of what looked like wine. "You've seen fairy tales, correct?" He then asked me; receiving a nod from the both of us. "Well think about it…hmm…sleeping beauty and snow white awaken from a kiss for example." Soul and I both exchanged looks before looking at the imp again. "Then there's the beauty and the beast…even better example. Kiss the beast to wake the handsome prince within~"

"Wait…so you think I should just kiss him?"

The little red demon lifted a brow at us. "Well I didn't say that…" He then said with a shrug before taking a swig of the wine and letting out a sigh. "But…It's worth a shot~" He then said with a wink our way. He seemed to chuckle a bit before taking another drink, and I looked at Soul in the corner of my eyes. He looked agitated…annoyed…maybe because the situation called for a prince charming kissing his sleeping princess—or more like in this case—a princess kissing her insane prince charming to snap him out of it.

"I'm not a fucking princess…"

I couldn't help but giggle lightly. Of course he'd say something like that…I was right on the money when it came to his thoughts. "Well…since I've pretty much kissed you enough in here," I began as I faced the pianist beside me; taking each hand of his in my own. "I'll go back out there…and I'll kiss you again…"

"I…I don't think that will be a good idea…"

"Why not?" I asked him as he looked to the side with a frown. It was then when I realized what he was probably thinking. If it didn't work, I would probably get myself in serious trouble for being so close to him. I shook my head and squeezed his hands tightly before getting on my tippy toes just barely to kiss him in a very chaste way. "I love you," I then told him for the first time since the night he had been taken away from me…since the night he had proposed.

"That's cruel," I heard him say as I shut my eyes; kissing him lightly again. When I pulled away I slowed my breathing and concentrated. "This is the same way you left me…the night I proposed to you,"

I gasped and opened my eyes quickly from what Soul had said, because I had realized how true that was. But instead of being able to talk to him about that, I had woken up on the floor of the ancient desert building again, though I wasn't face down on top of Soul, I was on my back and facing the ceiling, with two guns pointed at my face. "AH!" I shouted; lifting my hands quickly in a motion of surrender. "LIZ! PATTY!" I called out to the owners of the pistols; causing them to look at me and lift their hands away from holding me down by the shoulders. "What the hell are you doing?"

Liz and her sister exchanged looks before both smiling in relief. "Thank god your back to normal," Liz then said as she helped me sit up. I gave her a puzzled expression as I reached up with a hand to wipe the blood from my forehead, but before I could look away from my hand, I found out something horrifying and shocking. My blood was black too… "When you gave Soul that head butt move back there, you started acting funny too…and you attacked us and him at the same time…it was like a three way fight. Sorta…" I looked at her and then Patty as she nodded to agree with her older sister. "You both were insane and trying to kill each other,"

"Unhand me!"

I looked forward and saw that Black*Star and Kid had Soul held up against the wall by holding his arms and shoulders against it. It looked like they all had a hard time separating the both of us and retraining us at the same time. Tsubaki now had her hair out of her hair tie and was standing to the right of me with a shockingly deadly stare in Soul's direction as she held the chain scythes in both her hands; as if she was ready to kill him if he made the wrong move. I never thought I would think this…but Tsubaki looked terrifying with her hair in her face like that.

"H-Hold on…" I uttered out as I struggled to stand myself up. I used my sleeve to wipe away the rest of the blood off of my forehead, but it felt like it just smeared more than anything. I took a few steps forward and as Soul growled and threw his shoulder's around like a caged animal, I came closer and in between the two holding him down. As he snarled and seemed to bark even, I reached up with both hands and took hold of his face; immediately receiving his crazed gaze. I saw Tsubaki shift in the corner of my eyes but I decided to ignore it, wipe the droll of the insane man's lips and I leaned in to kiss them.

It was just then…when I realized it was probably not going to work.

I felt Soul grin from within the kiss and his mouth seemed to open. I was about to pull away but, he clamped his jaw down as soon as I realized what was going to happen, and his sharp teeth tore my bottom lip open. Squealing, I used my right fist to punch and hit the side of his head until he finally let go of me. Then, I used both hands to shove myself away and out of his range; my left hand covering my burning lip as I watched him grin at me with a hint of my blood on his teeth. I pulled my hand away and looked down into it so I could watch my blood drip into the palm. There wasn't much…so it wasn't too bad…and it was red, so I was certainly normal again…but _'fuck' _did it hurt!

"Guess that won't work…damn it…"

"Maka, what the hell were you doing?"

As Black*Star shouted out to me, Soul took the opportunity to catch him off guard and throw him aside with better strength. Then, since Kid didn't have any help to hold him down, he ended up getting thrown to the side as well. Tsubaki gasped and quickly reacted by preparing herself to throw one end of the chain scythe his way, but the black blood gave the advantage by making him much faster, and he beat her to it by grabbing the scythe by the blade—black blood quickly running down it and dripping to the ground—and he pulled it right out of her hands. My eyes widened just as she went to react again, but he took the chain in his other hand and lifted it up and then back down again so quickly that it broke the skin as soon as it hit the side of Tsubaki's face. She screamed and fell to the floor while he grinned a large toothy smile.

"Soul! Stop!" I shouted as I ran over to take the weapon from his hands. My right hand took hold of his left hand since it was the one that had the scythe and I think I heard him growl at me. His right hand let go of the chain and it shot up to take hold of my arm as it stretched across his view. Then, as I tried to pull it away from his grasp, he dropped the chain scythe that was in his left hand and he took my wrist with it. Next thing I knew, he had his mouth open and my skin looked like it was his next target. My eyes widened and I tried to pull away again. "N-No! Soul, stop it!"

"Nah~ I think I'll pass." He sneered as he looked at me with his menacing stare. As my eyes widened even more in fear, his finger caught the chain of my bracelet—though it didn't fall off—and he brought my captured and struggling limb up to his mouth; spilling my blood an in instant. It felt like some kind of wolf or savage dog had bit into my arm…I could hear the flesh and muscle being torn into pieces…along with my heart and soul…This wasn't the man I loved anymore…he was a monster.

"MAKA!" Liz shouted as soon as my blood hurtling scream lifted into the air. She, from over by Kid, stood up and pointed her gun in our direction but still didn't shoot. "Shit, I'll hit her…and I can't hurt Soul either," I heard her say as soon as my screaming died down. My face was covered in tears, and I used my free hand to push and shove Soul's face away from my arm so he would let go. But he wouldn't budge. He began jerking me side to side as if he was a dog eating away at a plushy! He was truly insane! My Soul was gone...

_"I just have to wait for it to wear off…"_

Finally I was able to pull my arm away from his blood thirsty jaws, and I fell down to the floor and slid back as far away from him as I could; holding my injured arm and staring at him with wide petrified eyes. 'We just have to w-wait…' I thought as he turned my way to smile; my blood dripping down his chin and hitting the floor. 'H-he'll be back…t-to normal soon,' I looked to my left as Liz helped Kid stand and then I watched Patty help Black*Star up. Though once he was on his feet, he was at Tsubaki's side in a flash even if she was right next to where Soul stood.

That was when _'they' _arrived.

Medusa's goons, Eruka, and Free appeared from both directions and captured whoever wasn't paying attention. In a panic, and as quickly as I could, I got to my feet and snatched the gun in Liz's hand just as she was captured by one of the men. It wasn't long until Soul and I were the only ones standing. "Soul!" I shouted as I held up the gun in his direction with both hands; ignoring the near unbearable pain I felt from my right arm as it's blood drenched it and fell to the ground in what seemed like puddles. "Soul, I _'will' _shoot you!" I then yelled; now holding the gun with my left hand since the right had fallen to my side from being too weak. I could sense that most of the blood had tainted my bracelet, and I could feel that some was dripping right off the chain…it killed me inside to know what had happened to such a beautiful piece of jewelry…especially the one that Soul had given me…

He only looked at me from over his shoulder as Tsubaki and Black*Stat behind him struggled to escape from the people who had a hold of them. Then with a grin, he clumsily turned around to face me and seemed to let out a hiccup. "Go ahead Maka…" He breathed out; causing my eyes to widen. I went to take a step back, but if I would have done that, I would have been captured as well. "You know you want to…'cause you're scared of me~" He seemed to hum it as he took a step forward and narrowed his eyes.

"No I'm n-not…" I knew I was lying…and as I watched the gun within my left hand begin to shake, I knew I was about to crack. "I love you Soul…" I then said to him; only receiving a shake of the head in response from him. His grin widened and his teeth seemed much more lethal now that they were covered in blood. "I-I…I love S-Soul…"

"No you're scared…" He breathed out as we began to circle one another in the small space between the group of people who held our friends captive. My eyes were wide and my arm was shaking as the other hung at my side almost lifeless; blood dripping off the ends of my fingers. "…Besides…I'm just a darkness that's surrounding and slowly eating away at your soul." He then told me as I made sure he didn't move any more closer to me. "That's why you were beginning to stop being able to sense my presence…Make sense?"

"Ma'am."

Soul and I both stopped our movement and looked over in the direction the stairs had been. Medusa…she had caught up and now she was standing there watching as if this was some kind of cage fight. She was grinning at me as if she was enjoying it too! I wanted to shoot her so bad…but I was afraid if I were to move the gun away from Soul, he'd attack me. "Don't look at me," She uttered out as soon as she realized we were all looking in her direction. "Continue, this is quite interesting~"

I only stared in disbelief… "Y-You monster—" Quickly I looked at Soul and saw that he had taken a step forward in a quick manor; causing me to scream in fear and pull the trigger completely on accident. "OH! N-No, Soul!" I shouted as soon as I realized it had hit him and thrown him back at least an inch. Though he kept his ground and he had hung his head. His shoulder's began to shake and that told me he was chuckling like a crazed idiot again and once he looked up, I saw that I had shot him in the shoulder….the same shoulder that he had been shot in when he took the bullet for me back during Junior year. Though…he was completely unfazed…though, the black blood spilled on the ground and stained his crimson red dress shirt…

I don't think my eyes could have gotten any wider.

"See…?" Soul asked me as I began to shake even more. He knew I was petrified…and now he was going to use that against me. "You _'are' _scared!" He then barked as another wave of tears overflowed from my eyes and soaked my face yet again. I shook my head as he began to walk towards me again with that same shark toothed grin of his. "You're scared shitless…you look like you're going to be killed~"

"I-It looks…like you want to kill me, though!"

"Of course it does…"

There was another gunshot but it wasn't mine, nor was it Kid's or Patty's. Soul and I both looked at the source and saw Medusa holding a pistol up towards the ceiling and she was scowling. "God damn it all…" She hissed as we all looked at her. "Just kill the damn boy already," She then said to me, obviously annoyed with our delay. My mouth hung open and I shook my head at incredible speeds; causing her scowl to worsen. "Fine then! _'I'll'_ shoot him myself!" She pointed the gun at Soul and he grinned as if he wanted it to happen.

Beside her, Black*Star sensed the trouble and elbowed the man that held him so he could get free. Once he was, he grabbed Medusa's arm just as she pulled the trigger; causing the bullet to only graze Soul's cheek. I gasped and pointed the gun at Medusa as she struggled to get the blue haired man off of her, but I ended up getting thrown into the wall by the white haired maniac that was nearly killed by head shot. Then, a riot broke loose, as Liz, Kid and Patty broke free from their hold and began to fight just like Black*Star.

Liz punched Eruka in the face and they both began to fight against each other by strangling the other as Patty went ahead and threatened the man that had her by pointing the gun she had at his crotch. Beside them, Kid turned around in Free's hold and kicked him aside before pointing both of his guns his way…Though he was still thrown aside by the large man's bulk arms. Tsubaki tried to help Black*Star as he was shot at, and in doing so, she ended up tackling Medusa's legs to get her on the ground.

I on the other hand…was being thrown around the room by the man I thought I loved. He had me by my hair and he finally took me by the back of the neck and threw my face into the wall; a demonic laugh passing his lips. "Come on Maka!" He shouted to me as he threw me into the wall again. "You have a gun in your hands! Shoot me!" Probably annoyed with my silence, he let go of my neck and grabbed my left arm. Then he pulled me off of the wall and swung me into the other one on the opposite side of the hall; causing me to scream out in pain yet again. My lip hurt, my arm _'burned'_ and my heart…my heart broke down into pieces with every single beating I took from him.

In the corner of my eyes, I saw Black*Star get dragged off of the witch woman and Tsubaki had been pulled from the hair again. And to my horror I saw her reaching for her gun. "N-No!" I shouted; looking to my left to see Kid as he fought against the large man named Free. "K-kid! Please, stop Medusa from getting that gun—ah!" Before I could completely finish what I was saying, Soul had pulled me by the hair and had thrown me into the other wall again; taking the gun right out my hands. As soon as I was on the other wall, I looked at Medusa again and saw that she had reached the gun and had it cocked before pointing it at Soul. My eyes widened and he grinned as he turned to accept the bullet, but, without even thinking, I did something stupid…something _'really'_ stupid.

I jumped in front of him with both arms out—no matter what the pain—and…I took the bullet in the chest…the pain...was quick...but it burned more than anything. It hurt more than my lip...it hurt more than my arm, and it just about topped my broken heart...and then everything went black…and I knew I was dead…

"…Maka?"

…Some happily ever after, huh?


	21. In His Eyes

_Destroying a Perfect Soul_

_Chapter 21: In His Eyes_

_"I held the blood stained chain in my shaking hands and watched..."_

_"...watched as another person I loved was taken away from me…"_

* * *

"…Maka?"

It wasn't the gunshot that had pulled me out of The Black Room and back into reality. I definitely heard what sounded like a gunshot…but it was what the bullet hit that woke me. The love of my life…my angel…had been shot in the chest. She jumped in front of me in what looked like to be a moment of panic…from what I could make out…I was about to be killed…and no matter what I had just been doing to her, Maka thought it would be ok to get herself killed instead. Too bad my mind hadn't exactly caught up with reality fast enough…maybe I would have been able to knock Medusa's teeth out before Stein got to her…

"M-Maka?"

Her body went limp, and the sandy blond woman fell back into my arms; causing me to drop the pistol in my hands and get down onto my knees to rest her on my lap. As an attempt at waking her, I shook her and called her name out over and over again with wide eyes—obviously in a state of shock. "Maka….hey…w-wake up," I said to her as I shook her body once more. I gulped down the lump in my throat and I shook her again. "H-hey…wake up now…this isn't cool, Maka…stop it…" As I pleaded for her to wake, my eyes couldn't help but wonder to her arm; causing them to widen. What had I done to her? Her arm was bleeding…it looked like some wild animal had torn it apart! Though I didn't doubt my assumptions were true…I was sure I knew exactly who owned the sharp teeth responsible for such a wound…And it was _'not'_ Free…

What happened to the kiss the Imp had suggested…?

Was I also responsible for tearing her lip open?

…I knew that kiss thing was a bad idea…

"MAKA!"

Suddenly, there was noise, and I heard Black*Star's and the other's voices…I looked up from Maka's scared face with a look of anguish on my own. Medusa was getting up from being on the ground only a few feet in front of me. I didn't care much for the snake woman…though once I realized she had a gun her hand…I knew that she had been the one to shoot my lover. "Medusa!" I shouted as I held Maka closer and stayed where I was. "You monster! You killed her!" No matter what I said, she didn't seem to be fazed by me…she only smiled a narrow grin and held up the gun to point it at me for probably the second time in awhile.

"Oh~ I don't think she's dead yet." She hissed my way as she set a finger on the trigger. "She wasn't hit in a very vital area…but I can always take another sho—AH!" She had been interrupted as an ambush erupted from behind her and attacked her men from the shadows. Each figure who had arrived had either took hold or shot one of Medusa guards. And speaking of Medusa…she was the only one who had been thrown to the ground, had her gun confiscated, and put into handcuffs by a very familiar man…while he did that…someone was right beside Maka and I almost as soon as this ambush had arrived.

"N-Nygus…?"

"What happened to her?"

The Shibusen nurse knelt down beside me and gave off a very worried expression under those bandages on her face. She wasn't the only one there that I realized though…There was Stein, my old science teacher, who had handcuffed and was, at the moment, whispering something in Medusa's ears…Yumi, the Geography teacher, had a rifle in her hands and was threatening at least 3 different men with it in a corner…Marie was helping Tsubaki and Black*Star up onto their feet at the same time as holding a metal tonfa. Even Sid was there…helping Kid arrest Free behind me…Liz and Patty seemed to handle their own attackers…so there wasn't any one by their side immediately…

"Soul…" Nygus repeated my name and my wide crimson eyes fell upon her's. "I know you're in shock…" She then said to me as the atmosphere began to calm and the noise began to silence itself. "But…you need to tell me what happened so I can let Spirit know what medical supplies to prepare in the van before I get out there with her," Oh great…_'he' _was there too…?

"She…Sh-She was shot—"

"Shit…Sid!"

Said man turned away from what he had been doing and he knelt down beside Maka's form as well. I wasn't exactly listening anymore…just watching. She had said something to him and then pressed something that was in her ear to speak again. It was probably some sort of walkie-talkie thing…She was probably telling Spirit about the situation. Once I saw her cringe, I knew that I had been right—there was no doubt that the old man was panicking and yelling in the poor woman's ear…

The pressure on my legs faded and they suddenly felt cold. I looked away from Nygus and, with my eyes still wide in shock, I watched as they both lifted Maka's body away from me. Her hand was the last thing to rise from the ground…and as it did, it let one last drop of blood fall off the end of her finger. That drop of blood fell on my knee…and once it made contact with the suits fabric, I sprung to my feet; my eyes still on the love of my life as she disappeared with the other two. Was she dead…? No…Medusa said she hadn't hit a very vital spot…and yet that didn't make me any less panicked. She was still losing a lot of blood anyway…she may die that way instead of the bullet!

I had to go with her…

"W-Wait…" I breathed out in almost a whimper. I began to walk forward in the direction they went very slowly as everything happened around me. This couldn't be happening…Maka…was shot…she was bleeding incredibly…she was probably going to die any second! "H-hold on!" I called out again; now walking a little faster. But I stopped…and I looked to my right as Stein spoke to Marie for a moment; still holding Medusa on the ground. Her face was pressed against the ground and was facing my way…so…I did what my instincts told me to do, and I kicked her in the jaw. "FUCK YOU!"

"Soul!"

"Shut up!" I gasped as I glared at Stein; causing everyone in the hall to look my way. My eyes were watering now…but I was too worried about Maka to wipe them away…I was too worried to just stand there! So I left them all behind and made my way down the hall. How did I know where to go…? Simple…I followed the trail of her blood. It was very distinct, but I could see it…and with every inch covered the more worried and scared I became. It just meant that she lost more and more blood the further she went…It was uncool…but I was crying for the first time in a really long time…

The last time I cried that hard…was when my Mother was killed…

"M-Maka…" I could barely say her name without feeling a horrible twist in my gut…It got worse and worse as I continued on down the hallways. And soon, I got out and wasn't in the building anymore. The night sky looked fresh, but the cold air was definitely not…My sharp teeth were clattering as soon as I was out there; walking up the sand dune on my own to find Nygus, Sid and hopefully, Maka… "H-hey!" I called as I made my way up the sandy hill; finding little spots of blood every once in awhile… "Wait!"

At the top, there was some sort of tent…inside a desk and some chairs…Next to it there was a jeep and a white van. The back of the white van faced my way and was open, and Spirit, inside it looked like he was digging through a bunch of drawers in a panic while Maka lied in a roll away bed in front of it; getting her wounds cleaned and checked on by Nygus and Sid. It was then when I saw what Spirit was looking for…he was taking out a defibrillator…

As soon as I realized what it was, I sped up and was right by Maka's side immediately; taking her hand in mine and squeezing it slightly in hopes it would let her know that I was there. I frowned as I watched Nygus prepare her for the shock she was about to receive from the machine inside the van. My eyes fell from her peaceful looking face and fell down to her hand that I held. The one that had been covered in the most blood…the one that wore a bloody chain around its wrist….

Wait…was that…?

"Y-You wore…your bracelet…?" I asked her quietly as I lifted her arm a little to look at the blood stained sapphire that I had bought for her so long ago. I frowned even more, and with shaking hands, I pried it off of her wrist just as she was about to be taken again. "W-w-wait!" I yelped; causing Nygus and Sid to stop what they were doing. I was shaking…and I was crying…and I probably looked ridiculous…but that didn't even matter… "H-hold on…" Bending over slightly and leaning down, I pressed my lips against Maka's and pulled away to let them do what the needed to do. She was lifted up into the van and before I could see something happen, the doors shut and it began to drive away. Then…silently to myself…I held the blood stained chain in my shaking hands and watched…watched as another person I loved was taken away from me…

"Soul,"

The voice frightened me, and I was taken off guard; flinching in a very…noticeable way. A hand was on my shoulder, and at first, I hadn't realized who it belonged to. I just needed to sort out the details—such as the person's voice and what his hand looked like—and I then realized it was just Black*Star… "…What?"

I didn't mean to sound harsh…

Or did I just sound anguished…?

"She…she brought the bike…" I heard him say from behind me; causing me to look over my shoulder at him. His eyes looked sad, yet relieved to see me… "She left the keys in it too…so…" He looked away from me and eyed the tent; causing me to look as well. "Take that home…so we don't leave it out here…"

Why…why was he acting so…calm?

"I can't believe I thought you'd be the one driving away in that van…"

Another familiar voice that caused me to flinch and turn into another direction. It was Marie…she wore a very soft and saddened expression…but, I soon realized she wasn't the only one…Liz and Patty had limped by; holding Kid up as he stumbled across the sands as well. They looked hurt, beat up, and upset. As if the whole "mission" they were on had failed. Tsubaki ended up being next to make her way over to the jeep. She had all her hair down and in a mess and carried the scythe and her own chain scythe at the same time. I cringed…remembering that Maka had said I hurt her…

"I'm sorry,"

Tsubaki flinched at the sound of my voice and I cringed at the face she gave me…a face as if she was scared of my voice. I shut my eyes and looked away from her as soon as I could so I wouldn't have to feel anymore of her pain. I had hurt her…I had probably hurt everyone there…My heart burned in my chest and I felt as if there was something in my throat as I held Maka's bracelet within my hands; her blood dripping off of my knuckles and into the sand. It was all my fault…everyone was hurt because of me. Everyone was anguished because of me…Maka was dying because of _'me'_!

"Soul, we're leaving, keep up,"

Black*Star gave my shoulder a pat before continuing on towards the jeep where everyone began to pile in; throwing the tent in at people's feet so they could take it with them. That's when I actually noticed my bike sitting there in the sand on its own…beckoning for me to go to it. I watched them take off towards the large rain cloud in the distance and noticed that there were other cars in the corner of my eyes being filled with Medusa and her goons…I glared at the one that contained the witch that took my loved ones away…and I watched as she was driven away from me as well; a sand cloud lifting up into the air and blowing across my damp skin as I stood alone and secluded in the desert.

Damp? …I was…sweating?

I shut my eyes, bit my lip and squeezed the chain in my hands to hard, I probably broke skin…

"GOD DAMN IT!"

* * *

"Soul Eater…"

I opened my eyes and found myself face to face with the Shibusen hallway floor. It was the same sight I had seen before I had shut them, but this time a pair of feet were in view and once I fully came back to reality, I knew who had spoken to me. There was only one person in the whole school and area that still called me by my "fake" name…He was older than me of course…had red hair, aqua colored eyes and smelled of "Papa"…I was about too scared to even look up at the man. He knew what I had done to Maka—his _'precious' _angel, Maka—so I wasn't going to be surprised if he ended up attacking me right then…

Though I ended up being surprised anyway…because…he _'didn't' _attack me…

Glancing up in curiosity while sitting in the newly installed benches in front of the infirmary, I found myself staring into Spirit's narrow eyes. He had his hands on his hips, was glaring at me, and he was frowning. Though…he hadn't attacked yet…in fact…he didn't look like he wanted to kill me at all…he looked more…disappointed…than angry. "Y-Yes…?" I asked with a large hint of hesitation in my voice. The muscles in his forehead twitched, but he only closed his eyes and let out a sigh before stepping away, turning around and sitting next to me on the bench.

"Maka made it on the way here…" Spirit began calmly as he and I sat beside each other outside the school's infirmary—where Stein and Nygus were at the moment giving Maka her surgery. "…She almost died twice…" My eyes widened as I stared at the floor again. Why…why was he telling me this? "But…Nygus was able to keep her stable…"

"I…Mr. Albarn, I-I'm so sorry—"

"Don't apologize, Soul," Spirit interrupted as he stared at the floor as well. I looked at him in the corner of my eyes and saw that he looked truly upset again. "…It's not entirely your fault." He then said to me quietly; his eyes shaking slightly before being closed. He lifted his hand up and set it on my shoulder even though he wasn't looking at me…and then he gave me a light shake. "It…It was Medusa…not you…" I couldn't help but open my mouth…

"But I still caused her so much pain—"

He hadn't interrupted me…it was the sound of footsteps that did. I silenced myself and looked at the door beside me to see if Nygus or Stein had come out to tell us Maka's condition…but…I found that the door was still closed. The footsteps continued, and Spirit and I both looked to the left to see who owned them…that's when we saw her. The tall sandy blond woman that the old man beside me once was married to…Kami Albarn…She looked angry, yet anguished, she wore sunglasses, but I could see a thin line of tears on her cheek as she came closer and closer to us both.

As soon as she was right in front of us, she stopped and took the glasses off. "…is she still in surgery?" She asked us both suddenly; her lip quivering slightly as Spirit and I looked up at her. I nodded weakly, and I heard the old man mumble out an agreement; causing her to take in a sharp breath and look away to her left. "I…I got the call an hour ago…I tried to get here as fast as possible…"

"…Stein said she'd be fine," Spirit began; causing Kami and I both to look at him quietly. "…If the surgery goes well…she'll probably be asleep for awhile…but once she wakes up…" I swore he looked my way quickly as he said this. "She'll…be able to go home as long as she's careful,"

"And how come you get to know this and I don't?"

It wasn't long until the two of them were in an argument…and not wanting to be a part of it, I turned away from the both of them and watched the doorknob silently while I waited…It didn't seem like I'd be seeing Stein walk through that door anytime soon…and It didn't seem like the two Albarn's behind me would stop fighting…But…the loud bickering finally died down and the hall was peaceful again…that is…until my hands were snatched up by someone; causing me to flinch and look over with wide eyes.

"Soul, hunny," Kami began as she knelt down and looked at me with a sad expression; causing me to relax a little. "Please…don't blame yourself for any of this," She then said to me as I examined her expression. So…she was trying to say I wasn't for the blame too, huh? …I didn't understand why they all weren't angry with me…why they weren't glaring at me or calling me a monster…why _'wouldn't' _they blame me? I was the one who tore her lip open…I was the one who tore her arm to pieces, who broke her heart, and I'm the reason she was shot! They had every right to blame me for Maka's pain! And yet…they weren't blaming me at all…in fact, they were sitting there trying to convince me that nothing was my fault…

What if Maka died? Would it still be all because of Medusa?

"…Shut up,"

I barely even whispered it…She probably didn't even hear it as I pulled my hands away from hers and looked at the doorknob again with the same narrow eyed expression on my face. I knew it was rude…but I just…didn't need her "sympathy" and "support" at the moment…I just needed to see Maka's face…I just needed to see if she was ok…My eyes narrowed as I watched the door. 'Maybe…' I thought after listening to Kami stand and walk away from me to sit down. I couldn't believe that I was going to think it…but…I couldn't stand being without her. '…maybe if she ends up not being ok after all…' I wanted to cry again… 'I'll…just kill myself so I can see her then—'

_Soul, no…don't…_

My eyes widened slightly as the doorknob moved and turned before my eyes. Kami and Spirit both looked as well, and almost as soon as that door opened, I found myself on my feet and looking Stein right in the eye with a questioning gaze. He looked at me only for a moment before glancing over to the two standing behind me. Then…he looked at me again and stepped aside. "She's fine," He then said; causing me to let out my held breath. I was so relieved to hear it… "You can come in and see her if you'd like…but she's sleeping,"

As soon as he had said it, Kami and I both moved for the door. Stein stepped aside and let the door open more, but…I let Kami go first. She walked into the room and I looked over my shoulder as Spirit slowly made his way over. My eyes narrowed and I turned back around to go inside. I only made it into the room as far as seeing the end of the bed before looking away in anguish. I was going to see Maka again…but bandaged up, in a hospital bed after surgery…broken…in pieces…geez…she…probably hated me now…

"Spirit, hunny…are you coming in?"

After hearing Kami speak, I looked over my shoulder and saw Spirit standing in the doorway, looking down sadly and unmoving. "…No…" He breathed out quietly as I turned a little to face him. He looked up and over to the hospital bed for a moment before looking down at the ground again. "…if Maka were to be awake…then…" He seemed to choke and struggle with his words. "She'd want me to stand right…here…"

"A-alright then…"

Hearing Kami again, I turned away from Maka's old man and began to make my way towards the hospital bed. ...but once I saw her sleeping form, I froze…She seemed peaceful…like she was fine…just sleeping. But…then you begin to notice the bandages and red skin…the skin around her lip was red and sore and there was a small bandage keeping it intact from being torn open by…me…Her right arm was wrapped and swollen and once again I could see sore, red colored skin where the gauze did not go…She seemed to be peaceful but…she looked like a mess…and…it was all my fault.

Kami looked up at me as she used a hand to brush Maka's bangs aside. I noticed her gaze, but I tried not to look as I slowly crept closer to the bedside; my eyes going back and forth from Maka, the floor and then Kami. I still couldn't believe she wasn't angry with me for this…

"Are you alright, Soul?"

"Y-Yeah, I'm fine." I said quickly before sitting myself down beside the bed; brows furrowed as I watched Maka's face silently. "…I was just…" I paused in my words as her mother watched me as well. "…Just worrying myself…" I then said to her without making eye contact. My hand, in my lap, flinched but didn't move. I wanted it to…but it wouldn't…So instead, I watched Kami whisper things to her daughter instead. I couldn't catch what she was saying…in fact, I almost couldn't tell she was saying anything at all….She was so close to Maka's face and her lips were almost out of my sight…I could tell she was struggling with what she was saying…but…that was all I could make out of their one sided conversation…

I felt horrible…just…horrible…

Because it was my fault…

_Soul!_

My eyes snapped up to Maka's…but unlike I wanted, they weren't open and she was still sleeping; her mother still whispering in her ear. My eyes narrowed again and finally my hand moved…it reached up and slowly took hold of her's. I then looked down and away from anything that belonged to her and shut my eyes. I was probably gunna lose it if I stared at her for any longer…as long as I held her hand…that should have been enough, right?

…right?

* * *

What had happened while I was gone? The apartment was a complete mess! There was a chair knocked over on the ground and there was broken glass all over the place, and it looked like the glass came from the coffee pot…Which was broken…of course. "Geez…" I uttered out as I picked up the chair and brushed off the glass that was on it. I looked at the floor near my feet and examined how much I was going to pick up, but something caught my eye. "…blood?"

Kneeling down on the ground I moved a few glass shards aside and stared at one in particular. There was something on it and the ground…it was dark and it was dry…but it smelt like blood. I cringed and picked the glass up before getting back on my feet. What the hell had happened here? With a sigh, I set down all the glass I could find on the table top and picked up the broken coffee pot last. After putting that with the rest of the glass, I dragged over the garbage and put it at the end of the table so I could sweep it all off at once.

"There…"

After getting that cleaned up, I wiped down my hands of old and cold coffee and let out a sigh. But as soon as I put the garbage back and turned around…I was faced with more trouble: Trouble that caused my jaw to drop. The coffee table was broken! The legs had snapped and it was slanted like some kind of ramp! I walked around the couch to see the rest of the living room and I saw that the TV remote was on the ground by the window and there were random pieces of garbage scattered about on the floor. There was an old drink splatter on the TV too…and it did _'not' _look very appetizing…

"Oh my god…" I breathed out with a large sigh as I grabbed the garbage again. I walked into the room and knelt down to pick up anything I could without much effort. It was mostly papers, magazines, and empty chip bags…and a mug with the last bit of whatever was in it dripping out and soaking into the carpet. I picked it up and made my way into the kitchen silently to put it in the sink-which still had dishes in them from the day before I had been abducted.

"God damn it…"

I almost couldn't stand cleaning the rest of the place. Seeing its condition scared me! Why was there glass everywhere and why was there blood on the glass? More importantly, whose blood was it in the first place? "Shit, Maka." I let out almost like a wail as I grabbed a wash cloth and got it wet. "What the fuck were you doing?" I knew she wouldn't answer me…so…I just knelt down in front of the TV and wiped the splotch off of its surface. As I did that something caught my attention from under the TV's stand. I paused and looked down slowly; only to have a purple cat hop onto my lap and meow loudly.

I smiled lightly and set a hand on her head to rub it. "Hey Blair~" I then said to her as she purred and leaned into my hand. "I'm surprised Maka didn't end up killing you…" She meowed again and made her way over to the couch to curl up and lie down while I finished wiping the TV off. Though I wore a smile for a moment…it disappeared as soon as I saw my reflection. …How did Spirit and Kami not flip out and attack me? There was crusty black blood on my forehead…and dry blood on my lip and chin…my hair was messy…I looked like I had been sweating all night…

I couldn't even look at myself anymore!

"Fuck" I turned my head away and got to my feet quickly before grabbing the garbage can. I dragged that into the kitchen, threw it back where it belonged and then tossed the rag into the sink. I walked into the bathroom as soon as I got the chance, plugged the sink, turned on the faucet and waited. When it was full enough, I took a deep breath and dunked myself; causing the water to rise onto the counter and over the edge towards the floor. It was colder than I thought it would be…but fuck it…It was still water right.

After I pulled my head back out, I grabbed the towel hanging on the wall behind me and used it to dry and scrub at my face so get rid of all the sweat and dry blood. I didn't want to look in the mirror, but I did anyway to see if I looked any more descent. I did…but I was still disgusted with myself. "Tch." I tossed the towel into the hamper and walked back out into the main room. I walked back into the living room knelt down next to the table and examined it for a moment… It wasn't going to get fixed so easily…I'd have to ignore it until later…

I reached over to my left and picked up the TV remote and then waltzed over to the couch to sit down next to Blair. She immediately got on my lap and cuddled up against me as I lifted the remote to turn the TV on…but I stopped myself and stared at it with gloomy eyes. I didn't feel like watching TV for once…I knew why…but in a way, I was still surprised…I let out a sigh and set the remote down beside me…I was going to fix the table tomorrow and clean up the stains in the carpet from the drink that spilled and the blood over on the kitchen tile was going to get mopped too…

"You miss me…?" I breathed towards Blair as I used a finger to scratch the top of her head. She let out a soft meow and kept purring as I did so, and even though I wanted to smile, I frowned. "Yeah…well your gunna miss Maka next…" Blair only looked at me with those big yellow eyes and I knew she was wondering why I had said such a thing. Heh…was I beginning to be able to talk to cats now? Or was all of this making me go crazy?

"She won't be here for a few days…"

_I wonder…if Maka hates me now…_


	22. Fear

_Destroying a Perfect Soul_

_Chapter 22: Fear_

_"Soul...I never got to tell you...yes"_

_"Yes, I will marry you."_

* * *

My chest hurt…

No, not just my chest.

My arm, my lips…my back even hurt. My shoulder burned, and not only did my chest hurt, but it burned as well. I felt like I couldn't move and my eyelids felt heavy…it was difficult to open them. I parted my dry lips to make some sort of noise as I lifted my eyelids to see where I had ended up. I found light…so obviously I wasn't in the dark anymore. I could hear something pelting against glass…like rain. And not only that…there was this presence in the air, like…there were people near me; silent as if they wouldn't want to wake me.

Finally I felt something other than air.

A hand had taken mine gently and I heard a muffled noise; calling out my name in a sweet feminine voice. Was that Tsubaki…? Yes it definitely sounded like her… I tried to open my eyes again and this time, even though the light blinded me, I got to open them nearly all the way. And there she was…standing over me with a soft smile; a bandage on her cheek where her skin seemed to be a little red…

Oh that's right…Soul had smacked her with a chain…

My body shivered at the thought of that man and my arm burned a little more as well. "Maka…I'm glad you've woken up," Tsubaki told me as I fought to sit up in the bed I was in. She helped me through most of the work and kept my hand in hers as I looked around the room. I was definitely in the infirmary…and there was Liz and Patty on the opposite side of the bed giving me smiles too. Kid was there at the end of the bed with a relieved look in his eyes…and Black*Star, wearing that goofy grin of his turned his head towards the door, mumbled something about being right back, and left excitedly.

"You've been out for a couple days," Liz said to me; causing me to look to my left at her. My eyes narrowed a little but not in a mean way of course… "It's Thursday Maka; it's been three days," My mouth opened a little but nothing came out. It felt like it would hurt to speak, so instead I looked down and gave her a nod. That's when I heard footsteps coming from the left of the room where the door was. Each person in the room looked over to it and saw it open so the blue haired man could re enter and take his place next to Kid. Though he was still looking at the door at the same time as pointing at me so we all kept looking…

"See, see, she's awake!"

My heart skipped a beat as the person he had been speaking to stepped into the room and made their way over. My arm burned incredibly and my eyes widened, as that man…that man named Soul Eater Evans, took his place between Kid and the sisters; giving me a worried expression at the bottom corner of the bed. Something told me that I should have been relieved and happy to see him…but my body reacted in a completely opposite fashion. My eyes widened even more, my mouth opened and I leaned back away from him as far as possible…and then…I screamed.

"GET OUT!"

His eyes widened and I pushed myself away and took hold of the nearest pillow. I threw it his way, but my fear blinded me and I think I may have hit Liz instead. "GET HIM OUT!" I shouted again; taking hold of whatever was on the nightstand and throwing that too. I didn't want him to touch me! I wouldn't let him touch me! He wasn't going to come anywhere near me as long as I was conscious! "GET HIM OUT RIGHT NOW!" There was shouting and things being thrown, and Tsubaki was trying her best to calm me as the others pushed Soul away. I shut my eyes and threw anything I could…I heard something make contact with his head and I knew it had been the clock that was on the stand beside me. I didn't care though…he deserved to get hit…

For what he did to me…for what he did to us all.

"I'm sorry, Soul!"

I knew it was Black*Star who had said this as the door slammed shut to signify that he was gone. My eyes were wide…I was breathing heavily and my knees were probably up and close to my chin as I cowered as far up against the backboard as possible. I knew there was something wrong with what I had done…but…it was a reaction. I wanted to hold Soul in my arms and never let go…and yet at the same time…I wanted him to be as far away from me as possible. My arm burned, my chest burned, my lip stung, and my heart and soul both ached in agony, fear and pain. How was I supposed to know if he was under the black bloods influence or not? What if he went on rampage on accident or just whenever he got angry!

"Maka, please try to relax…" Tsubaki breathed out as she set a hand on mine again and rubbed it. My eyes found the blankets and I finally let my legs spread out again; every inch of my skin shaking as if I had seen some sort of ghost… They all stared at me in an awkward silence as my heavy breathing died down slowly, and I could sense that they had only shifted maybe once or twice…probably to exchange looks…

"H-hey, Maka…" I didn't need to look up to know that was Liz. "What's wrong with you?" She asked me quietly after the room had been silent for over a minute or so. "Soul…he snapped out of it the second you were shot!" I only flinched at the mention of his named, and felt her get closer to me than she had been before. "Maka, he's all better now, you didn't have to shout at him like that," I shut my eyes and sat there quietly as she said these things to me…I knew she was getting angry now… "He's been staying up all night for you! To make sure you'd wake up with someone there! So you wouldn't wake up alone! And _'this' _is how you treat him? He's probably standing out there right now, heartbroken, devastated, betrayed—"

"SHUT UP, LIZ!"

I used a weak hand to push the blond away from me and let it fall back down to my side while I cried. Of course I knew he was probably out there with that stupid wide eyed look of his…but I didn't need to be reminded of it nor did I need to think of it at the moment! I continued my fit and realized that the eldest of the Thompson sisters had found a seat to sit in and shut up like I said. Though, Tsubaki continued on trying to relax me calmly. That's when something hit me…a question that my subconscious needed to know and that had finally reminded me to ask…

"What…what happened to Medusa…?"

"Stein got her," Black*Star answered from in front of me and at the foot of the bed. I looked up slowly and eyed him carefully as he frowned in my direction; probably angry that I had yelled at his best friend… "Right after you were out, Soul snapped out of it, Stein and the others arrived, then Medusa was captured and arrested…" He looked out the window and his eyes narrowed as he watched the rain. "As we speak, she's locked up in jail with the others…currently being tried for her punishment." I wasn't sure if I had ever heard him speak in such a mature way…

"I…I see…"

Tsubaki, beside me, squeezed my hand slightly to get my attention and I turned my head to look into her sad indigo eyes. "If you want to go home…" She began softly as I stared at her with tired eyes of my own. "Stein said it would be alright for you to leave now as long as you were careful for a few days and made sure you relaxed…" For a moment she looked at me but then she looked away and in the direction of the door. "Soul will be there—" My hand tensed. "—so…would you like to stay with Black*Star and I until you are more comfortable with going home to him…?"

As much as I wanted to stay with Tsubaki…I needed to go home…so I shook my head at her. Even though I feared being around him…Soul and I needed to be close to one another so this bond of ours could be mended again. I needed to stay close to him so I could make sure that he wasn't going to go insane the next time someone pissed him off. "I…I'll go home…" I said to her quietly; probably surprising everyone in that room. They didn't realize how scared I was in doing so…but they had the idea that it was a bad idea…or at least…Kid did…

"Maka, please," Kid said as he leaned on the bed in front of me; a somewhat pleading look in his expression. "You don't have to force yourself to go home." He then told me as everyone looked at him too. "If Soul is frightening you, you are more than welcome to stay at one of our places…" I shook my head and he seemed to be surprised as he stood up straight again. "B-but…"

"I want…to apologize…"

"Y-You do?"

Nodding again, I let my eyes drift towards the window and I watched the rain pelt against its surface for a moment. "For…yelling at him and throwing all that stuff at him…" I think they may have started to clean the room up a little as soon as I said that… I sighed and looked away from the depressing rain and down at the nightstand. There was water spilled on it…but there was no cup…just a vase that had been knocked over…and there were flowers still in it, but a few were on the ground. There was a nasty little tug on my heart as I looked at the broken vase and the spilt flowers and water…something told me that they came from Soul and I had knocked them over when I had attacked him…

"Those flowers…" I began; causing Tsubaki to look up at me as she picked up a pillow to fluff it out. I saw her eye the flowers on the ground and then the vase as I kept my eyes on the broken glass. "Did…did they come from Soul?" I then asked; still not looking away from it. It wasn't Tsubaki who had answered…neither was it Kid or Black*Star…it wasn't even Liz…surprisingly as they all fell silent; Patty was the one to answer my question.

"Yeah…He brought you four every day…"

* * *

Once I opened that door I wanted to leave and go back to the infirmary immediately. I heard Soul…he was in the kitchen right across the room once I entered the building...and I had already forgotten my apology. He looked like he was washing the dishes…he looked over his shoulder and eyed me as I shut the door behind me; watching him carefully as I did so. I saw his eyes narrow and then, he spoke. "W-Welcome home…" He uttered out; causing my skin to crawl. On reflex I lifted my right arm close to my chest and my other hand took it for comfort. Just looking at him made it tingle…

"Y…Yeah…"

It was barely a whisper in return as I made my way towards the room. With a sad expression on his face, I watched as he turned his attention back to the dishes so I could slip into the bedroom without much worry. My arm was stinging now…maybe because I was beginning to panic a little? I wasn't sure…I made sure I stripped down and put on something more comfortable: like a pair of sweat pants and a t-shirt. I would have grabbed one of his…but…something told me not to…So I just put on one of mine from the dresser.

I was almost too cozy to leave the room and enter the living room…where _'he' _was. Gulping, I set my hand on the doorknob and opened the door slowly…he wasn't in the kitchen anymore…more like in the dining area. He was washing off the table with a wash cloth. I paused for a moment to look around…when I had left…there was glass everywhere, the coffee pot was broken, the chair had been knocked over, Rachel's blood was somewhere over there too…and…in the living room, the table had broken when I fell on it.

Was it still broken?

I glanced over to the living room and saw that there was no table at all. The carpet looked like it had been steam washed…it just had that look…like a vacuum went over it but was wet at the same time…Was it for the stains from everything that spilled when the table broke? Must have been…considering it got in the carpet…and the wash vacuum was sitting against the wall near the window too. Also…when I looked into the kitchen again, I realized that the mop was in a different spot then I had left it. He had mopped the tile too…

He…cleaned up after me?

"Hungry?"

Jumping out of my skin, I hadn't realized that Soul had been watching me for awhile. I snatched up my arm again and pressed my body against the door as I finally gained the courage to look his way. He had an apron on and it looked like he had been using it for a lot of different kinds of cleaning and cooking jobs. Maybe not so much as cooking…but I could definitely see bleach stains in the fabric.

How long had I left him hanging without an answer? I wondered. My eyes narrowed slightly. He was so patient with me…I was absolutely sure I knew the reason why…but it was still pretty odd…because I had never seen him stare at me like that…I had never seen him wait for an answer for so long without snapping and saying something like "would ya just answer me, woman?" …It was different. And different was beginning to discomfort me…

"Uh…just…just a little."

Soul nodded to me and picked up the towel that was on the table. I had flinched slightly from his sudden movement and it was obvious that he caught it since he had paused for a moment before letting out a sigh. I felt bad…I felt really bad…but my body had reacted on its own. I loved Soul with all my heart…but for some reason something was telling me not to trust him. Something was telling me that he was going to hurt me again if I wasn't careful! So I needed to be as cautious as possible and stay as far away from him as possible.

"I…I'll make you some soup…or something…"

His voice sounded so weak…It made me want to cry.

I sat down at the couch and took the remote in my hands as I waited for something else to happen. I wanted to cry…but it seemed as if I had run out of tears. I didn't think it would be possible…but maybe I had cried longer than I thought before I had been shot. Just thinking about that bullet made the noise ring through my ear drums. I heard screams, I felt pain in my chest—a pain I couldn't help but reach up and try to grab—and I heard Soul's voice…his voice calling out my name!

_Maka…?_

"Maka…?"

That one sounded a bit more…real. I blinked my eyes open but quickly shut them again with a yelp as I moved to the other side of the couch. He was right there…leaning over…very close to me. So close that he'd be able to touch me if he wanted... "W-What!" I gasped as I looked away from him and held my arm again since it had begun to burn like earlier. In the corner of my eyes I saw him stand up straight with another sigh and look away from me.

"I…I just wanted to know what kind of soup you wanted…"

"Ch-chicken noodle…is…fine."

Once again Soul sighed and nodded to me before disappearing around the corner and into the kitchen. I relaxed once I couldn't see him and I listened closely as I watched the pictures move on the T.V screen. I could tell that his movements were slower than usual…because he was so mellow no doubt. He was a bit clumsier since I had heard something hit the counter a few times and shortly after words a curse had slipped passed his lips. I cringed every time I heard him speak or shift within the kitchen. Any moment now…

Any moment now Maka…and he'll walk around the corner with blood all over his face and a knife in one of his hands.

My hands were messing with the bandages on my arm as I sat on the couch and waited for whatever was to come. I was nervous…I was waiting for him to attack me. I could just see it…all the blood…dripping off of his chin…staining our newly cleaned carpets

_-__I felt Soul grin from within the kiss and his mouth seemed to open. I was about to pull away but, he clamped his jaw down as soon as I realized what was going to happen, and his sharp teeth tore my bottom lip open. Squealing, I used my right fist to punch and hit the side of his head until he finally let go of me. Then, I used both hands to shove myself away and out of his range; my left hand covering my burning lip as I watched him grin at me with a hint of my blood on his teeth. I pulled my hand away and looked down into it so I could watch my blood drip into the palm. There wasn't much…so it wasn't too bad…and it was red, so I was certainly normal again…but _'fuck'_ did it hurt!—_

That face…the face he made when he grinned towards me…with my blood dripping down his chin and soaking between his teeth and into his gums…

It will haunt me forever…

"Maka,"

I jumped yet again and looked to my right in a panic…only to see Soul holding a bowl in his hands; steam rising from the surface. His crimson colored eyes were almost so narrow I couldn't tell they were open. "Here…" He set the bowl down on the table as he said this to me and when he stood up straight again, he looked away. "It's a little hot…so blow on it ok?" He then asked me; setting his hands in his pockets behind the apron. I looked at him for only a moment before giving him a timid nod. My eyes felt a little droopy as I then reached for the spoon…and that reminded me of something I probably should have told him before it was too late.

"…S…Soul?"

"Yeah…?"

"C-Can you sleep…on the couch for a while?"

.

.

.

"…ok."

* * *

D: SORRY! I've been grounded from the computer and I've also been addicted to RPing with my friends so I havnt been able to work on the story AT ALL! But before I got my computer taken for the night, I got on and finished typing this chapter up so I wouldnt leave you hanging anymore...

But only to uh...be left hanging yet AGAIN. I'll try and make sure chapter 23 comes sooner I promise!

FORGIVE MEEEEE!


	23. Click

_Destroying a Perfect Soul_

_Chapter 23: Click_

_"Soul...I never got to tell you...yes"_

_"Yes, I will marry you."_

* * *

In my sleep, I heard glass shatter…over and over again, like someone was throwing cups, plates, and bowls all around an empty room. Constantly. I wanted to wake up to get rid of the noise but it didn't seem to work. My body was just so exhausted, so tired, it wouldn't wake up on its own. I had to be woken up—that simple. But…I couldn't trust Soul to just waltz right in here…

That's why I locked the bedroom door before I went to sleep the night before…

"God damn it!"

Soon following up after the curse there was another shatter and this time, it sounded like it was outside of my head…outside of my thoughts and dreams. My eyes snapped open—pulling me away from the destructive noise—and into a more calm and peaceful sound…nothing, but birds chirping in the morning or afternoon—whatever time it was—sky…and..was that sweeping?...And that smell…

Was that…Bacon?

Sitting up in bed, I glanced out the window to see that the sun was up and shining. I didn't know what the time was…and since I was already looking outside anyway, I decided to just check out the position of the large star in the sky. The Sun wasn't in the middle of the sky…so it wasn't noon yet... Eyes narrowing slightly from the bright light, I turned my head again to examine the little chronograph on the night stand to see what time it really was. It was almost eight…So it wasn't too late for breakfast…But it was a little late for me to wake up…Usually I'd be up at six…or seven.

Carefully, I pulled the blanket away from me and swung my legs around to touch the floor. For carpet, it sure felt cold to the touch…my feet nearly bounced right back up. I eyed the clock again before getting off the bed and making my way towards the door. I held my arm…and I was moving very slowly..I almost changed my mind and decided to lie back down, but my hand opened the door and I stepped out into the other room…

Too late to go back now, Maka…he saw you.

"M-morning…"

Soul gave me a quick glance before continuing to sweep the broken glass on the floor with the small broom we owned for those occasions. I was shaking…I was shaking a lot and I was beginning to worry about myself. I watched him throw away the glass into the garbage and continue to cook the food on the stove. I stared at the spot where the glass once was…and I listened to the echoing noise that was once in my head. The shattering glass…the pain in my chest…why was I beginning to get a bad feeling…and what exactly were these bad feelings all about?

I glanced down to my chest and stood there for a moment…

_-Ever since I found out when I was thirteen, I could see souls. _A Sound Soul dwells within a Sound Mind and a Sound Body...

That's what my Mom would always tell me. And because of that, I'd always know when a person's mind and body was ok or not. If they didn't have a healthy soul, then their body and mind would be troubled. That's an easier way of putting it. I opened my eyes and saw Soul standing in the same position as before. The only difference was that a small blue orb was visible around his chest and back area. But something was wrong...I'd seen many unhealthy and healthy souls since I first found out about my power...but his...

His was broken...

Not just broken. But nearly shattered. I felt my heart skip a beat. His soul was broken and locked up. It screamed at me saying that something horrible had caused it. 'No way...' I thought in horror; staring at his soul. 'How can he be so calm and laid back all the time?' I felt my eyes and body shaking as I stared on. 'One false action and his soul can cause him to go completely insane!'-

I wondered…if I was able to see my _'own'_ soul…

I looked away from myself and began walking over to the bathroom slowly. I knew Soul was watching me from over his shoulder but I was sure he didn't know why. I heard him say my name, so I moved quicker, opened the door as fast as possible and slipped inside; leaving the door slightly ajar. I looked at myself in the mirror and looked at myself for a moment. The bandage that had been on my lip in the infirmary was taken off but my lip still looked bruised and swollen anyway…My hair was a mess since I just woken up and I realized that I was still shaking.

I closed my eyes and waited patiently for myself to concentrate hard enough. I could hear the clock ticking at the other end of the bathroom as I breathed to myself and calmed my shaking body. It clicked once…then twice, and then a third, so I opened my eyes and revealed myself to the mirror again, except I could see a blue orb floating before my chest. "No…" My eyes widened and I began to shake again. It was…_'broken'_….not as bad as his had been…but…right there in front of me…I could see that my soul was cracked, damaged, tortured…broken.

The sight caused my knees to shake…they gave out and I found myself on the ground using the counter for support. My right hand, since it was free, weakly lifted to cover my mouth as tears began to form within my eyes. I couldn't believe it…now it was _'my' _soul that was broken. Surly it wasn't completely broken…but it was hurt…it had flaws…it wasn't perfect like it should have been. 'M-Medusa…succeeded.' I thought with a loud sob as tears ran down my cheeks. She had actually done it…she destroyed a perfect soul…a Grigori soul…_'my' _Grigori soul…which was now nearly in pieces…

"Maka?" Soul's voice called; a light rapping at the door. I let out another sob and used my weak hand to wipe the tears as the door began to open a little more widely. "Hey…you alright...?" He asked me as I began to scoot away from the doorway. "Why are you crying? What happened—"

"GO AWAY!"

Instead of it shutting, the door opened all the way and he had knelt down beside me quicker than I could react. "Maka, what's going on, are you alright?" He said to me; a huge amount of concern in his tone of voice. I tried to get away from him…I tried to push away, but he set his hands on my shoulders; causing my skin to tingle and crawl uncomfortably. "Are you ok?"

"GO AWAY SOUL!"

"Maka, please, let me help you—"

"GET OFF OF ME!"

That was when he surprised me…with a hug. He hugged me and held my body close to his no matter my struggle. I tried not to use my injured arm too much, so I was pushing against him with my left hand so I could get away. Though, he wasn't going to let go…he was stroking the back of my head and whispering to me… "I'm sorry…" He said quietly as he held me; his hand stoking my hair while I struggled to break free. "I'm sorry…" Now he began to mumble… "I love you, Maka…more than anything…I'll do anything to help you…please…" He seemed to choke out a sob of his own. "I'm sorry…I'm sorry…I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry—"

"G-GET OFF!" I yelled finally pushing him away; quickly making my way to the other end of the bathroom to sit against the wall and glare at him. My eyes were red and puffy from my tears…and I could tell his were beginning to get the same way as he stared at me… My lips shook… "Go…away…" My voice quivered between each word; and it seemed to leave an incredible impact on him, since his eyes had widened. Though…after a short time, he nodded and got to his feet slowly as I held my arm and watched. Soul gave me one last look, showing his great concern, and then he left the room; shutting the door behind him. That…definitely struck something in my chest…I felt like I was going to cry again…

Why…why did I have to be so cruel to him…?

* * *

How long had I been in the bathroom until I realized that it had been so quiet…

I glanced at the clock from sitting in the corner of the bathroom and counted how many lines the hand had passed since last I looked. Three hours later…and I was still sobbing. I was a little surprised that I hadn't run out of tears or completely forgotten how to cry all together… "..ngh…" I struggled to get up onto my feet—my leg asleep—and leaned on the counter for a moment to get the feeling back. I took a few deep breathes, looked at the clock again and made my way over to the door slowly; limping due to the fact that my leg was still "waking up".

As I reached the door, I held out a hand to take the handle and I opened it just enough for me to look through and eye the surrounding area. I didn't see Soul anywhere…which was odd since I was usually able to spot him sitting on the couch from the bathroom doorway. I was sure he would have been watching T.V or something… "…Soul…?" It was barely a whisper as I opened the door completely and slipped out into the main room. I took a few looks around the apartment and realized that it was empty.

Oh no…

Where did he go?

"S-Soul?" I called out as I looked around me. I caught sight of Blair scratching her ear over by the front door…but that wasn't him…not at all. No! What if he had been taken again? "Soul?" I shouted again; jogging over to the bedroom doorway to open it and look inside and look around. Though…It was no use. He wasn't in their either…Now I was beginning to panic! He wasn't in the bedroom and he wasn't in the living room or kitchen. "Where are you!" I ran over to the other room and opened the door to look inside…though…just like the others…It was empty.

He wasn't in the apartment…

So…what I did…was grab the phone and dial the first number that came to mind.

_"Hello…? Maka—"_

"Tsubaki!" I shouted in a rush before she could finish what she had been saying. I immediately regretted it, but I was in too much of a panic to apologize. My body was shaking and I used two hands to hold the phone up to my ear; my eyes darting around the apartment. "S-Soul! He…He's gone!" I said to her as I paced the apartment's main room. "I-I can't find him! I'm getting worried! He didn't l-leave a note or t-tell me he was leaving! What if he got taken again! D-Do you know w-where he might be—?"

_"Maka, please calm down," _Tsubaki interrupted with much concern in her voice. _"I haven't seen him, Hun…" _She then told me after I waited for her to respond. _"He hasn't come over here and…"_ She fell silent and I heard her mumbling on the other end but far away from the phone. Then there was a loud voice in the background and I knew it was Black*Star's... _"…Black*Star didn't get a call or anything…Sorry, I don't know what happened—"_

"I'll call Kid then!" And with that I hung up on my best friend and began to dial another number into the phone's digits. As soon as the number for the mansion's house phone was successfully dialed, I began pacing again and I held the phone tightly with both hands. "Pick up, pick up, pick up, pick up, pick up…" I mumbled to myself as my eyes began to wonder frantically again. The ringing went on eight times—typical Kid—until it finally clicked to signal that someone had answered.

_"Hello? This is Death the Kid—"_

"KID!" I gasped as soon as I heard his voice confirm who he was. "I-it's me, Maka!" I then told him as my pacing slowed a bit. He really needed to get some sort of caller ID on his house phone so I wouldn't have to say who I was every time… "Soul is gone! I don't know where he went and he didn't leave any kind of note to tell me he was going somewhere," I was being so loud that I hadn't even realized that the front door opened. "Please tell me you know where he is!...You don't? …Well, then do the sister's know? Ask them, Kid! Don't just assume—"

The door shut and I flinched; dropping the phone right to the ground before Kid could say anything else to me…

Soul…in the doorway…held a small bag and was giving me that look…That look that told me he was both angry and confused at the same time. "…Why is it…that you don't want me to touch you and yet…" In mid sentence, he paused to look at the phone and then back up into my eyes. "…and yet…you freak out when I leave you alone?" He asked me in annoyance. Kid was probably listening from the other end…since I hadn't hung up yet…I opened my mouth to say something…something like "Well I want to be with you, but when your around me, my body is the one that reacts!"…but that wasn't happening was it? Especially since he had interrupted me as soon as my lips parted…

"I just went to the store to get a fucking movie…calm down."

And with that, he turned away from me and walked over to the T.V to turn it on. I looked at the ground and he began looking for the remote and I watched the phone silently as I also listened to him start to fiddle with the DVD player to get it open. While I listened to the surrounding environment…I realized I could hear Kid calling out my name as well…I knelt down and picked up the phone and brought it up to my lips; not even caring for what he had to say at the moment.

"…Never mind…he came home,"

I pressed the end call button as soon as I said it and let the wireless object fall to the ground again as I stood; staring at my bare feet below me. "I…I'm going to lie down…" I breathed out weakly as I turned and took my bandaged arm within my hand. I caught Soul looking my way only for a moment since I had disappeared into the bedroom and shut the door behind me quietly. I slumped over to the bed and I threw myself onto the mattress; my head turned to the side to stare at the desk and the wall beside it. Since we had combined our desk Knick-knacks, Soul had moved his pictures to the side and put them on the wall instead of having them on the desk anymore…

That's when I saw it…

The picture he had taken of the both of us at the beach…One of my favorite pictures of the two of us. We were so young back then…

He was wearing his black swim shorts and white button up shirt with the middle opened up to reveal his chest while I was wearing my strawberry red two piece with the skirt bottoms...that swimsuit definitely didn't fit me anymore…So I had to throw it out a long time ago…Soul had also grown out of his believe it or not...so they were thrown out too…But what I had kept from the trip was the straw beach hat I had bought from a store there on the pier. I remembered that it was the picture that he had to sneak up on me to take…At first…when I saw the photo in here a few years ago, I was surprised that he actually put it in a frame and kept it…But now it was quite obvious why…

He loved me…

"…Soul…" I whispered to myself as I stared at the picture of the white haired boy who had his arm around a green eyed blonde; his cocky grin shining in the light from the unseen sun… I shut my eyes and thought about that day. It had been so long ago, and yet, I still remembered it perfectly…

-_Out of nowhere, an arm took hold of me from around my shoulder and soon I was face to face with a camera held up to get a downward shot of me and the person who held the camera. "Smile for the camera, Maka." The owner of the arm said; revealing his toothy grin before pressing the button to take the shot. I looked at Soul as soon as the camcorder came down so he could take a look at the picture; his arm still in place. "What?" He then asked me before showing me the picture he had just taken. "You like pictures don't you. Everyone else has pictures together, why not us?"_

_"You're acting a bit weird today Soul…"_

_"That's what happens when I get a hold of a camera…" Soul breathed as he knelt down to look at a hermit crab crawl by. "I take _'one' _picture…and I go on a picture taking spree." He held up the camera and took a photo of the small shelled crab before standing up straight again. Then he shrugged and walked over to the towel laid out directly under Tsubaki's umbrella. "It's uncool…but kinda fun."_

_Smiling, I walked over to the towel and sat down next to him as he went through all of the pictures he had taken. I leaned over to look and noticed that he was right about the picture taking spree. He had a _'ton' _of pictures on there. "Geez Soul…" I said with a roll of my eyes. "Take enough pictures why don't you?" With his own sigh, the white haired boy lied down and shut the camera off before setting it down on his stomach. "You tired?" I then asked as his eyes shut._

_"Yeah…I didn't get much sleep last night. Dreamt about _'them' _again…"_

_My eyes narrowed sadly at him as his right arm fell onto his forehead; his left hand lying on the camera still. "I'm sorry." I then said to him; receiving a shrug from him that told me not to worry. I took my hat off and set it on the bag next to me before lying down next to him with both my hands together on my stomach. "You can go ahead and take another nap if you want. I think I want to also." I then told him titling my head to the side a little to touch his. Surprisingly he didn't move…instead he just spoke one last time before falling back asleep._

_"Thanks…"_

_"You're welcome."-_

And that was exactly where the next picture came from: The one that I moved from my old bedroom dresser and into here to be on the wall too. The one of Soul and I right after we had fallen asleep on the same towel under Tsubaki's umbrella… I believe I stared at this one for a long time once before in the past…I was trying to contemplate who it could have been…I had asked myself if it had been Tsubaki…or maybe Liz or Patty…and yet…a few years into the future…I still hadn't a single clue…

Eyes narrowing, I sat up in the bed and let out a soft sigh. That was it…I just needed some time to really think about the good times I guess. I felt a lot better than just a few minutes ago…So I got off the bed and walked over to the door to turn the handle. Once it was opened, I could hear the dialogue from the movie Soul had decided to go get while I had my fit in the bathroom. I slowly walked out of the bedroom and walked over to the smaller couch to stand nearby. And as soon as I walked into that room, Soul looked my way quietly for a second before looking at the T.V again. In that moment, I could see he was glaring and frowning…and for a second I thought it was just towards me…so I grabbed my arm on instinct. But then I realized he was also giving the T.V the same irritated look.

He wasn't mad at me…

He was mad at himself…

I glanced over to the smaller couch since I was a closer to it than him but I ended up looking at him again anyway. I wanted to go over there and tell him I was sorry, but that feeling of distrust was beginning to burn in my chest again. I gulped silently to myself as I held my arm and watched him as he stared at the T.V…Was it a good idea to go over there and just show him my vulnerable side? …Maybe it was…I mean…he was angry, but he wasn't going insane and trying to kill anyone like I thought he would…So maybe it _'was' _ok after all…

It was then when I noticed…he wasn't even watching the movie…

He must have been thinking too…or...was just too angry to even think at all…

I hadn't realized it was at least five minutes until I finally took a step forward and began to make my way over to the longer couch. I approached the side of it slowly and cautiously and set my hand on the arm of it. Then, I brought my knee up to get onto the couch and crawl over to where he sat. That caught his attention and his look of irritation softened as he looked my way and watched as I folded my legs to the side and hesitantly leaned against his shoulder; shutting my eyes in case something I didn't want was going to happen. It was nice to lean against him again after so long…I could feel his warmth…and I could smell his casual scent…It was definitely Soul…No one else in the world could feel and smell like this…

"What…What were you standing there for?"

Soul had hesitated at first before asking me this…I could hear it in his voice…I didn't open my eyes, but…I did let a soft smile spread across my lips for the first time in a while. "I…I was thinking about if I should really be doing this or not…" I then told him quietly as my smile then disappeared and formed into a frown again. "S-Soul…I'm so sorry…" I felt like I was going to cry again. God damn it…I needed to stop! It was foolish—childish even! I was a grown woman! "I-I'm sorry for y-yelling at you, for throwing things at you, for hurting you, for h-hitting you, all that shouting and keeping you a-away from me! I'm so sorry, please d-don't be m-mad! At me or yours-self! Please—"

"Maka…" Soul breathed out quietly as I rubbed my eyes with my right hand. He lifted his right arm up slightly but stopped. "May I…?" He then asked me; receiving a nod almost immediately from me. I didn't care for the feeling in my chest or the stinging in my arm…I just wanted him to comfort me…Like he always used to. "Maka, please…" He began again as his arm lifted all the way and was put around my shoulders so he could hold me closer. "I-I forgive you…so you can stop crying now…" He then told me quietly; rubbing my arm with his thumb as I leaned up against his chest. "I know you were going through a lot…I understand…"

"…I…I forgive you too, you know…" I sobbed; my voice barely even louder than the movie that had continued playing before us. I heard him whisper something back to me, and the next thing I felt was his lips on the top of my head. My body flinched on its own, but I tried to enjoy the comfort myself. I leaned further against him even though my subconscious screamed at me to go back to the room, and I finally calmed myself of my tears. Soul weakly wiped them from my cheek—causing a shiver to rush up my spine—and it wasn't long until I finally fell asleep against him.

…and that's when I heard it…

_Click_


	24. Hook Up

_Destroying a Perfect Soul_

_Chapter 24: Hook Up_

_"Soul...I never got to tell you...yes"_

_"Yes, I will marry you."_

* * *

Funny…

I thought I had fallen asleep on the couch…

Sitting up in the bed, I rubbed my eye weakly and took a look around the room. I was the only one in there…so either Soul slept on the couch again…or…he slept in the bed with me without my permission and got up before me. I sure hoped it was the first option. I was beginning to feel a bit more comfortable around him but…I didn't think I'd be able to sleep in the same bed with him yet… I just didn't feel comfortable with the thought in my head of him having some sort of dream that would make him go insane…he may have not of lost it when he was angry…but who knew when he slept?

I dragged myself out of bed that Monday morning and took hold of my arm since it had begun to burn a little again. I was probably going to have to change the bandage for it either that day or the next… "…Soul…?" I whispered his name as I left the bedroom and shut the door behind me; quietly yawning to myself as I examined the front room. He wasn't in the kitchen making breakfast like the day before…and he wasn't at the dining table. But…there was something _'on'_ it instead. Curious, of course, I walked over and picked the white envelope up slowly.

"Oh great…the bill,"

With a sigh, I set the bill back down and rubbed my temple with my free hand. Last time I had checked…we were short on money and didn't have enough to pay it. It was one of the reasons why I had forced Soul to get a job in the first place… "Wait…" My eyes drifted up and darted around the room. "He hasn't been to work at all!" I stepped away from the table and looked into the living room. He wasn't there—damn it. He was supposed to have his first day of work two Mondays ago…and he had been kidnapped the Sunday before…meaning…he never went to work! That was bad…especially if it was supposed to be his first day!

"S-Soul! Come here!"

"Yeah yeah, I'm right here…"

Jumping to the sound of an opening door, I turned around, grabbed my arm and, held up a finger; seeing that he had come out of the bathroom. "Y-You!" I then said; causing him to put a look of confusion on as he pointed to himself. "You haven't gone to work!"

Soul opened his mouth but then shut it again; looking over to the kitchen for a second. "Your right…" He then said to himself as he then looked at the ground. "I…I haven't been to work in like…two weeks."

"Exactly!"

Hesitantly, I grabbed him by the hand and pulled him over to the door. "We…We have to get it back," I then said to him as I opened the door with my other hand. "You should go talk to them…ask for their forgiveness…" I hadn't even noticed that I was still in a tank top and pajama pants…also barefoot. But it wasn't the first time I had walked those streets without any shoes on, that was for sure. "G-Get your job back…I'm sure…If you told th-them what happened…you'd get your job back—" Suddenly, he stopped walking with me and I was nearly jerked backwards; forcing me to let go of him as soon as it happened.

"Geez Maka," Soul muttered as he slipped his feet out of his house slippers. He then knelt down to the ground to pick them up and lightly tossed them over to my feet. "Put some shoes on will ya…" He then said to me; standing up straight to shove his hands in his pockets. I kept the same small frown on my face as I slipped the slippers on and then, quietly, took his hand again and started walking in the direction of the bar that went by the name of "Jazz"...

"Hello~ Can I help you two?"

"Yes…"

Leaving Soul behind, I walked over to the waitress by the bar and leaned on the counter top. "My boyfriend applied for a job here a few weeks ago…" I began as she continued to wash off the bar's surface; her eyes every so once in awhile darting up to meet mine. "But he…he never showed up," I glanced over my shoulder and watched as Soul examined the piano in the corner of the bar; some people talking and whispering at their tables nearby. "There's a reason though…I…I can explain—"

"Oh, Mr. Evans?" The waitress asked; causing me to look in her direction again. "Oh yes, he was on the news,"

I nodded weakly, but couldn't help but frown. That's right…I hadn't watched the news until that one time when I heard them saying that they finally found him. I assumed since they said "finally", they had probably had him on there for awhile. "Yes…so…you understand, right?" I asked the waitress quietly as she set down the wash cloth so she could wipe her hands off on her apron. I saw her give Soul another glance before looking at me again to motion for us to follow her. I smiled sofly. "Thank you," I looked over my shoulder. "S-Soul, you can go speak to them…"

"I would have taken care of it myself…" Soul mumbled as he made his way over; his hands stuffed deep into his pockets. My eyes narrowed and I frowned again as he strode by. "You didn't have to…" his voice trailed off once he looked at me, and when he did, my skin crawled and my hand grabbed my other arm, but I didn't look away. "S-sorry," He seemed to sense my discomfort and he continued on to go to the back and speak with the manager and the other employee.

"So…he's back, huh?"

Flinching, I looked to my right and spotted a young man around my age sitting at the bar with a drink in his hands. That man was familiar. He was _'really'_ familiar. In fact...did that face belong to a man that once flirted with me all the time…? "…Tod?" I asked quietly; receiving a nonchalance look from the tired man on the stool. "What…what are you doing here…?" I asked him, perplexed. "You look…drunk."

"Liz broke up with me."

My lips shaped into an "O" and I nodded before turning away from him as he gulped down whatever it was in that glass cup in front of him. So he and Liz were through, huh? …OH! That gave me a great idea! "Kid would definitely want to know about this…" I whispered to myself with a smile as I turned away from Tod and pulled out my cell phone. I typed in Kid's rare and personalized eight digit number and brought it up to my ear; walking over to the window to look out onto the street. Huh…a car...That was number one that month…

_"Hello?"_

"Kid, you'll never guess what I just found out~" I sang happily with a smile even if he couldn't see it. I heard him make some sort of noise on the other end of the line, so I took that as a big "tell me now", from him. "Well…It turns out Liz and Tod are officially over now!" I then told him excitedly; trying not to be too loud so Tod couldn't hear me. "It's no longer just an assumption! You are free to tell her how you feel!"

He seemed to laugh and cheer in glee. _"Wonderful!"_ The son of the Shinigami said happily; receiving a giggle of my own in return. _"Oh! I have something to ask of you, Maka,"_ Humming to let him know I was listening, I looked over my shoulder cautiously and eyed Tod at the bench. He still looked like he was drunk and it didn't look he had heard me. _"I'm having a get together tonight at my place in celebration of Soul's return and your good health. It wouldn't be right if the two of you don't join us…So I guess I could say,"_ he paused to laugh lightly. _"I guess I'm pretty much forcing you now~"_

"Alright…we'll go…"

_"Great! See you tonight, 8 o'clock~"_

"Ok…"

Almost as if it was on cue, the door to the manager's office opened just as I shut the phone and set it back in my pocket. I turned around and slowly made my way back over just as Soul and a taller, fatter, and certainly older man shook his hand and set his other on his shoulder. He said something to him and then bid his farewell so Soul could walk away and back over to me. I lifted both my brows at once but kept quiet; pretty much asking him what had had happened and he gave me a small smirk.

"I'm back on," He told me as his hands found his pockets again. "Once again…their making me start on Monday," The waitress passed by with a small giggle.

"Just make sure you show up this time, ya hear?"

Soul nodded to the Texan server and then looked at me again…What she had said worried me. Medusa had been arrested again, but that didn't mean he was totally safe. Just like before she could have broken out even sooner…and then she could take him from me again! Then the whole cycle would have to start over, and I didn't think I'd be able to handle—

A hand lightly touched my left arm as I shook. "Maka," He spoke my name so quietly, I felt Goosebumps travel across my skin. I glanced up from staring at his chest, and I realized he was closer than before. He brought his lips to my forehead and rubbed my arm softly—a common act of affection—before stepping away to leave the building.

"Come on…"

Once we arrived at Kid's place, we could smell the food all the way in the front doorway. He had told us that the sisters were making cookies and boy did they smell good~ Soul wound up sitting with Black*Star—who was covered in bandages by the way—on the couch while Patty, who also looked beat up, set up a game for them to play. It wasn't game night, but I guessed they were just making up for the time they hadn't spent with each other…since well…the official game night hadn't been in at least two weeks.

Although…Soul looked bummed. Maybe it was because he was around all of them while they were still healing? Tsubaki still had a large bandage on her cheek from when he had slapped her with the chain…and she was right next to me…chatting as if nothing was wrong. I could see his crimson gaze falling on everyone's wounds…but…I thought he would have already been over it by now. I had been sleeping for half a week…shouldn't he have been around them enough to be used to the fact that they were...injured because of him?

"PATTY YOU'RE CHEATING!"

"NO~ _'YOU'_ ARE!"

"Oi! You're hurting my damn ears!"

I peeked over the top of my book as I sat on the large symmetrical black couch in Kid's living room; Soul and the others sitting on the other side playing their race car game on the T.V. I eyed the white haired man carefully as he growled and threw around the controller like an idiot child trying to see if the car would move if the controller did too—only to face the sad reality that you actually had to move the toggle to get it to move instead. He was beginning to growl in annoyance as the other two began to yell again, and then, suddenly, Soul's face lit up in surprise.

"Wha—Black*Star you're such a hypocrite!

"HAHA! BEAT THAT! Only a god can win this gam—"

"Yeah! If that certain god, _'cheats'_!"

"The great Black*Star doesn't know what you're talking about—"

"Why you little—!"

The two of them began to argue again but were separated by Patty once the fight had started. I heard Tsubaki beside me giggle as she watched them, and I couldn't help but look at her in the corner of my eye. I was glad to see that she wasn't depressed or anything. In fact…no one in the room was beside's Soul and I…but even then, Soul looked fine too!

"Here, Maka,"

I glanced away from Tsubaki and caught sight of Kid setting down a drink on the coffee table in front of me. Then, he looked my way with the golden eyes I was so fond of from the very beginning, and smiled. "Thank you…" I breathed as I leaned forward to pick the glass up. I saw him nod and set another one down in front of Tsubaki so she could give him her thanks as well. And after that, he made his way around the couch and brought the last remaining drinks over to video game trio.

I felt myself smile…

_-"Hmm…let's see," Kid's voice brought me back from my thoughts and I saw that he was done thinking. "Well, I haven't seen any of these so called "visions" but…" As he trailed off, I let out a silent sigh. Like I had expected…no vision at all… "As you know, Patty throws a game night at the mansion every Monday night and it's always Black*Star, Soul, and her that play." I nodded to him as we both sat down; he at his desk and me in an extra chair from nearby. Then, he continued. "Well…last Monday Patty wasn't really willing to do it, but Black*Star convinced her to. So when he came over…I prepared some drinks for them like always and set each cup down onto the coffee table…" His eyes narrowed as I wondered where he was going with his story, but soon he spoke up again. "It wasn't until I was about to leave that I had noticed I had prepared three drinks instead of two…as if…Soul was still there…"-_

He must have felt better that he was able to bring a third cup again and not worry about no one drinking from it…

I felt myself look at Soul again as he said his thanks to the son of the Shinigami; who had then disappeared back into the kitchen. Why did I suddenly feel like I needed to watch him? My skin wasn't crawling, I had no Goosebumps and nothing was telling me to turn away…It was almost as if it was five years ago when he first walked into the classroom and I couldn't stop looking over my shoulder to look at him. I felt…I felt like a school girl eyeing her crush from across the classroom again! As if Soul was the cool guy again and I, of course once more, was the bookworm in the corner. That's right…Soul was one of the most popular guys back in High School…and I…I was a bookworm…

How did _'I'_ end up being with a guy like _'that'_…?

Suddenly, he caught my eye and we were locked like that for a moment before finally, he lifted a brow as if curious in why I was looking at him in such a way. As soon as he had done it, my face flushed, and I found myself buried in my book again. What the hell! It was like we were starting over—emotionally that is. Physically we hadn't really started over…right?

"N-No! Liz! Eight more minutes!"

"No they need to come out now!"

I reluctantly peeled my eyes away from the book again and leaned back to look into the kitchen. Of course Kid would be whining about that…eight more minutes meant they'd be perfect? No…he didn't realize that would just burn them… "Kid, move aside so I can take them out," I heard Liz say as she threw on the oven mitts that were on the counter. Kid was standing in front of the oven with his arms spread out as if he was protecting them, and well, I couldn't help but laugh at him because, well, he was wearing the most ridiculous apron I had ever seen in my life!

"No, Liz, please!"

"Move, pretty boy!"

The eldest Thompson sister pushed him aside and opened the oven to retrieve the cookies before they were finally burned to the crisp they really should not have been. She pulled out the tray, set it on the stove and closed the oven before tossing the oven mitts in Kid's face; who, in return, jumped with a small yelp since it was probably warmer than he thought it would be. I watched her slide each cookie onto a plate, and before I knew it, she was out in the living room; bringing in the intoxicating smell with her.

"Ok~ The cookies are done!" Liz said to us all; gaining the attention of everyone in the living room. Patty tossed her controller aside and stood up to run over to her sister so she could get one before anyone else. "They're Whole Wheat Zucchini with Chocolate Chip…sounds bad…looks bad, but…" She picked one up and tossed it at Soul since he was looking her way during the explanation. "But they're delicious…good for you too."

"Gah…they're hot too…"

Liz laughed. "Yeah, careful!"

As Soul had his little episode, Kid walked into the room with his hands behind his back and tried his best to act professional. Although, he still ended up being a little curious and reached over to the plate too. Liz smirked at him and then picked one up to hand it to me. "Here ya go…" She said as I used my good arm to take it from her gentle hands. "I'd toss it but…I don't know how your arms doing so…"

"Oh it's ok…I can catch with one hand~."

The both of us laughed to ourselves before the plate was then held out to Tsubaki so she could take one too. Like usual, she gave her thanks and then took a bite and, to be polite, complemented the cooking. After that…everything went back to the way it was before the cookies were even done. The three dorks over there had gone back to their game, Kid and Liz went back into the kitchen and Tsubaki and I were sitting on the other side of the couch quietly, reading to ourselves.

I looked at Soul again…

Now it was definitely like it had been so long ago…

_-"Take a seat then"_

Another nod from the boy and he began walking down the aisle that Kid and Liz sat beside. The aisle closest to me. I glanced over quickly to make it seem that I wasn't staring and I soon realized that it was the wrong time to look.

We had made eye contact.

His eyes were a deep crimson. There were parts where I could see a light crimson but it was mostly dark. Red eyes usually meant trouble but in a way I could see that he wasn't that bad of a kid. Even if that smile of his was a little demonic looking with that face full of attitude. Though, non-the-less I believed that his eyes looked good with the rest of his look. They were lazy...but just gorgeous.

After a full minute I finally realized that he was gone and for that whole time, I had been staring into the empty space his eyes once were. I felt my face redden in slight embarrassment as I looked over my shoulder. He had taken the empty seat next to the kid that wore glasses with a swirl pattern on the lenses. 'Guess Kid was right...' I thought. 'That seat 'was'_ taken by someone...'_

Once again our eyes locked.

His crimson met my forest. I didn't want to look away, but at the same time I could feel my head trying to pull away to look in a different direction. Was he in the same predicament? Was his mind telling him to look away too? Just then, Out of nowhere, he gave me a grin; showing off his razor sharp teeth and shut his eyes before turning his attention to Marie-Sensei. Once again I felt my face flush, and I also, turned my attention to the front.

Who was that guy?

There was only one way for me to find out...

Ask someone.

I quickly glanced over to Kid and saw that he had given up on his notes and had set the paper and pencil down to just listen to Marie-Sensei. I then reached over with my right hand and tapped his shoulder; gaining his attention. He looked at me and gave me a smile. "Yes Maka? What is it?" He then asked me.

"Kid..." I began softly. "That guy" I pointed over my shoulder to let Kid know who exactly I was talking about. "Who is he?"

Kid smiled a little more and looked back forward. "The name he goes by is Soul Eater" He told me soon after. I raised one of my brows. What an odd name. Then again he was popular. It was probably just a nickname he's been using to pass as a "cool" guy in this school. "And, if you're thinking that's his nick name. It's not" Kid then said. I tried to hold back a gasp in surprise. It was like he read my mind! "Not much is known about him" Kid then said; closing his yellow eyes. "The only person who knows the most about him is himself. He doesn't really share. Not even with the friends he spends such little time with" As I looked at Soul again, Kid reached over and nudged me with his elbow; gaining my attention and making me look at his slightly perverted face. "Why Maka?" He asked me. "Do you already have a crush on your first day?"

"EH? NO!" I gasped only loud enough for him to hear. "I was just curious...jeez..." I grabbed my book and began to read as Kid continued his explanation.

"Soul is what we would call the "Cool Guy" of Shibusen" He told me. From behind my book, I glanced over my shoulder and saw that Soul was leaning his head into his hand, asleep. "He tends to...doze off during class and for an unknown reason, even though I see him every morning, he's always late to first period.

'I knew it...' I thought as my eyes narrowed. He was nothing but a "Cool Guy" who acted off task just to keep his reputation. But...why did he interest me so much? I looked forward again, a light pink coming to my face.

'I can't go and fall for that stupid "School Girl Crush" thing!'

'I JUST CANT!'-

So much for _'that'_ plan…

"EH? Sis, whacha two doing!" Patty suddenly yelled after stepping away from the game to go into the kitchen. Everyone in the room looked over and saw her staring with a stupid smile spread across her lips. "You guys have never done that before!"

"Sh-shut up, Patty!" Kid yelped; appearing in the doorway as red as a tomato. He grabbed the door and pointed at her as if he was going to scold her. . "Give us privacy, will ya?" Then the door shut and Patty tilted her head to the side. How old was she now…? 20…21? And she still acted like a 5 year old…?

"…What were they doing?"

After Soul had spoken up, the blond Thompson sister turned around and scratched her cheek. Black*Star, Soul Tsubaki and even me…we were all staring at her curiously as if we were willing to jump off a cliff for the information. So…she told us what she saw of course. But…she said it in such a nonchalance way I was surprised. I was sure she would have said it with a bit more enthusiasm.

"Huh…Oh…they were just kissing," shrugged Patty with a snort.


	25. Say Grace

Sorry for the late update everyone.

I had a tough week, my Grandpa had another heart attack, and I've been a little stressed about school work.

Not to mention my addiction to RPing again…

Sorry…I'll try not to do it again~ ... I tried to give you some humor to make up for it~ So this chapter will be bit funny :D ...hopefully

* * *

_Destroying a Perfect Soul_

_Chapter 25: Say Grace_

_"Soul...I never got to tell you...yes"_

_"Yes, I will marry you."_

* * *

"You can stay in here tonight."

That was last I heard of Kid before the doors had closed behind Soul and I. We both stood in a fairly large room…there was a large queen sized bed in front of us and it had a curtain up and around it like some sort of Princess's bed. There was a couch at the other end, up against the wall near the closet, and it had a few small pillows on it like a normal couch would. I looked at the bed, and then I looked at the couch…then…I looked at Soul. He was staring at the couch as well. Huh…the moonlight was actually shining down on him a little…how cliché. But…predictable or not…the way it reflected off his crimson eyes…he looked so handsome…

"I'll sleep on the couch ok…?" Soul mumbled after a moment of silence and peace.

"O-Okay…" I said to him in return as he began to walk towards the couch. But for some reason, I took his hand and held it with both of mine. He paused and looked over his shoulder at me; quietly whispering my name in question. I pulled my eyes away from the floor, looked up, got on the tips of my toes and kissed him quickly before dropping back down again. "Goodnight…" I told him quietly just after I pulled away. He stared at me as I then let go of his hand and took a step back. "I…I'll see you in the morning…" Soul nodded to me, and as I sat down on the edge of the bed he walked over to the couch and began to fix the pillows around a bit.

As I lied down in the large bed, I touched my lips softly with my right hand and felt both my arm and fingers tingle with them. That was the first time I had kissed him since that night…wasn't it? Funny…I thought I was never going to kiss him again. I thought things were never going to be the same again. And yet…things seemed to be getting better and better by the second. I was already kind of okay with him sleeping in the same room…It had already been an hour since we went to bed…and he hasn't acted up…and now that I look over there…he looked pretty cold…

"Soul…?"

I sat up slowly but held the blankets up so I wouldn't lose the warmth they were giving me. Across the room, Soul was shivering on the couch, his arms wrapped around him as if he was trying to keep himself warm in his sleep. I felt bad now…I didn't want to look at him like that anymore. "Soul, hey, wake up…please," I called out only loud enough so he could hear me and no one else would be disturbed. He twitched, and soon, his crimson red eyes were looking over his shoulder and over to me. My eyes narrowed and I held out a hand to wave him over weakly. "Come lie down with me…It's warmer…"

"But, Maka I—"

I shook my head. "Come here, Soul," I then said to him as he began to sit himself up and look at me fully. "Please? I don't want you to freeze over there…"

"Fine…"

The white haired man across the room got to his feet with a soft sigh and made his way over to the bed I sat in. He walked over to the other side—opposite of me—and pulled the blankets up so he could slide under and rest his head on the pillow; his back turned to me. He was as far away from me as possible…but I knew why…and I was incredibly grateful because of it. "Thank you…" I whispered to him; reaching across the way to set a hand on his shoulder. Faintly, he nodded to me and snuggled into the pillow a little more. I then smiled and lied back down…

I felt a lot better that he was actually there in the bed with me…

_Click_

* * *

I was panicked before I even had my eyes open the next morning. I could feel him…he was right next to me in the bed and had an arm around me. My body tensed as I felt his breath on the back of my neck and my skin began to crawl as his hold on me tightened a little. I bit my lip. 'No, Maka, don't panic,' I thought to myself as I took hold of my injured arm. 'He's just holding you…' I then mentally said. 'This is what he does when he's in the same bed with you…in his sleep…he likes so subconsciously hold you…like…like a teddy bear of some sort…relax, relax, relax—'

There was a knock at the door.

"AH!"

I shot out of the bed and out of Soul's arms, frightened…startled. I normally would have just jumped, but I was just so paranoid, that it made my reaction worse, tenfold! "A-ah…Who is it?" I called out; catching sight of the pianist in the bed sitting up quickly. He hissed out a concerned "are you alright" and I only waved it off as I stood up on the cold wooden floor. The door didn't budge but I heard a voice answer my question from the other side.

"It's Kid, may I open the door?"

"Y-yeah, sure."

The door—just as expected—opened and a smiling black and white haired man entered the room with his hands behind his back. "Good morning," He greeted as I smiled back; not sure how Soul, behind me, had reacted. "I trust you slept well?" I nodded to him as I looked over my shoulder and saw that the white haired man was sitting on the mattress with his feet on the floor. He nodded as well. "Good…" Kid breathed; looking back at me. "Tsubaki has had breakfast prepared for everyone down in the dining hall. She says it's going to be Black*Star's favorite, considering this is his team's first game day."

"Oh thats right…" I breathed as I looked down from the golden eyed man. I had promised Black*Star's team that I'd be there for them…

_-"Hey lady, you friend's with coach?"_

_To my right, one of the basketball players that had to sit out was looking my way with a curious smile. "Oh…yeah," I told him in response; realizing that the other two who sat out were looking as well. "I met him in elementary school," I then said with a small forced smile…It couldn't be real unless Soul was there to make it appear. Like when he'd play the piano for me or dance with me before dinner if he heard music playing on the record player. He'd even make me smile just by looking at me…_

_"Are you gunna come see how our first game goes?"_

_"When is that…?"_

_"The Sunday after…next…Sunday…"_

_We all looked at Black*Star as he picked up a runaway volleyball and tossed it back over to the girls. Then he turned around and gave me a thumbs up. "…I guess the first game is pretty much in two weeks then," He then said as he gave me one of his own forced smiles—though I knew most of it was true. "The volleyball team's first game is the Monday right after." The basketball players around me looked my way and spoke at the same time._

_"You wanna go?"_

_"Kid, Liz, Patty and Tsubaki said they'd go." Black*Star said to me as he walked over and stood on the last bench before the bottom. He then got to his knees and put his hands together so he could give me a puppy dog face. "Please? It's my first game as coach!" His hands were then in the air. "It's a big deal!" Suddenly, he stopped, dropped his hands and got back to his feet; giving me a somber look. "Or…is Soul…a problem…? I totally understand if you—"_

_"N-No!" I said with my hands up in defense. "Don't worry, I'll be there." I then said to the kids with another forced smile. "Rain or shine…" I looked at Black*Star and my expression darkened. I didn't like what I was about to tell him…but I felt as if it should have been said anyway…_

_"Soul with us…or not."-_

But now…Soul _'was' _with us~!

"Are you going to see it?"

I nodded to Kid with a little bit of a smile and turned to face Soul. "You should go too." I then said to him; causing his red eyes to shift over to me and away from the other man in the room. "It's his first game as coach and he's really excited about it." Soul lifted a brow and his expression showed that he was actually impressed with his best friend. "I promised some of the students I'd go because they were really excited about it too, but…I want you to come with me…" I smiled as sweetly as possible and he looked at me as if he was surprised. "You know…as my date."

Soul grinned.

"Alright, I'll go." He then said; causing Kid and I both to smile his way. "Sounds cool."

"Great," Kid said happily with a clap of his hands. Both Soul and I looked his way and watched him take hold of the door handle. "I'll see you in the dining hall in a couple minutes, then?" We both nodded his way and with another smile to us, he nodded back and shut the door behind him so he could leave us in our own privacy.

"I think I'll just…" I paused as he got to his feet and stretched out his arms with a yawn. "I'll go eat in this…" Of course Liz and Kid loaned Soul and I some sweats to wear to bed…I don't think we would have wanted to sleep in jeans and shorts. "We could always just come back up here to change after breakfast." Soul looked at me as he continued to stretch out his arms, and then with another yawn, he nodded to me and dropped his arms to his sides. I opened the door and slipped out of the room with him not far behind and the both of us made our way down the hall towards the dining room.

It smelt like maple syrup as soon as I opened those doors and walked into the large open room.

"Pancakes, huh?"

Over at the far end of the table, I could see Black*Star excitedly waiting for everyone to sit in their seats too. I should have guessed. Black*Star's favorite breakfast meal was pancakes…the kind Tsubaki made. She had her own special recipe and everything. Complete with her Chef skills and knowledge of course. "Come on, come on!" He shouted as we began to take our seats. Soul sat right next to me on one side of the table while Kid and each of the Thompson sisters sat on the other side—the girls on each side of him of course. "Hurry Tsubaki!" The blue haired man whined as our chef and best friend walked out of the kitchen with a tray full of exactly what he wanted.

"Calm down~" She said to him with a smirk as she walked into the room carefully so she wouldn't drop anything on her way. Black*Star's smile grew and he grabbed his fork as soon as she used a spatula to lift a pancake off of the tray and onto his plate. She put another one on top and then moved on to put some on Soul's plate. I saw him smile and nod politely to her as she moved on and put two on my plate. "Is two enough for you~?"

"Yeah, thank you."

"Of course." Tsubaki said to me right back with a smile as she set down the second pancake on my plate. In the corner of my eye, I saw that the blue haired man had already been stuffing his mouth with what was on his plate; only to be scolded by Liz to stop. I let out a soft laugh as Tsubaki continued to give out the pancakes, and when she finally got to Kid, he wouldn't let her move on until there were eight pancakes on his plate and each one was perfectly aligned and straight up and down. Like…so perfect, he could run his finger down the side real close but not feel a single mishap. He said it was for symmetry's sake. But Tsubaki probably thought she was being treated like a slave!

"Y-yeah, here…last one…"

"Thank you Tsubaki, much appreciated~"

"O-Of course Kid,"

When Tsubaki finally sat down at the other end of the table, she reached over and took my hand in hers and then reached over to take Patty's hand. "Shall we say grace?" She asked in her usual sweet tone as everyone looked her way curiously. Black*Star spit out what was in his mouth and looked at her quickly. "I feel we should say it towards the Shinigami since he is the one that watches over us," She then said; eyeing Kid with a smile. He smirked back and then picked up both his hands to take Patty's other, and then Liz's. Black*Star didn't seem to like the idea, but with a sigh, he took Liz's other hand and looked at Soul…but didn't move. Soul, upon taking my other hand, glared at the blue haired man.

"Take my hand,"

"But…that's so gay."

Soul smacked himself on the forehead as Tsubaki, to my right, let out a sigh. "That's so not fair," He stated as he looked at the rest with his aqua colored eyes. "Kid gets to hold Liz and Patty's hands, and Soul gets to hold Maka's, but the great Black*Star has to hold Soul's! I wanna hold Tsubaki's!" He slammed his free hand on the table as everyone began to giggle and laugh…well except for the pianist beside me that is.

Tsubaki, on the other hand, gave him a smile and shook her head. "Look, Black*Star," She said as she let go of Patty's hand, to motion towards him. "Think about it like this." She then told him. "Liz is a woman, and you're holding her hand…" Said woman smirked at the blue haired man as he gave her a quick glance. "And, also…Soul has to deal with holding a man's hand too. So don't think you're alone."

"Oh yeah, who?"

"You, you idiot."

That would have been pretty shocking, if Tsubaki was the one to say that. But instead, it was Soul, who also had let out an annoyed sigh as he spoke. The basketball coach, looked at his girlfriend one more time until finally he and his best friend forever were holding hands like the rest of us; the blue haired one closing his eyes and making one of those "oh god damn it" faces. Kid, from where he sat, smiled and spoke. "May I do the honors?"

"Sure~"

"Lord Shinigami…we thank you for this food, and we hope for you to bless us as we sit under your roof. I, as your son, thank you for giving us this wonderful school we call Shibusen, or else none of us would be here today. Maybe I would…but the others here would not. I thank you for the return of our friend Soul, and for his health being in check. I thank you for the good health of our friend Maka, and I hope she will never see such a problem again. Let their relationship show no rocky hills from this point on, and let them wed in holy matrimony. And, as my final words, I ask of you, my father, to please, give Black*Star's team the luck they need to win their first game of the basketball season—"

"Kid! Get on with it, the pancakes are getting cold!"

"—and let this food give us all strength, _AMEN_!"

"Amen~!"

* * *

"His game starts, in how long…?"

I picked up the brush on the little counter in the bathroom and looked over to Soul as he leaned on the door. I began running it through my hair as I then looked at my reflection. "In…about half an hour I think," I then told him quietly. I didn't get a response, but in my peripheral vision I could see that he walked away. Setting the brush down, I decided to keep my hair just as it was and went to go get dressed. As soon as I walked out of the bathroom, I saw Soul pulling up his pants. I paused and watched as he zipped up the fly—his bare back to me—and then reached for his shirt that lied on the bed neatly. My clothes were right next to it.

It was a dress. Not a long one…but…it wasn't short either.

"Where did this come from…?" I breathed as I walked over to pick up the dress carefully in my hands. Soul, from nearby, pulled his shirt over his head and ruffled out his hair; mumbling Liz's name as he did so. "Oh…" I looked at the thin blue dress and smiled a little. It was cute…I never thought I'd wear something like it, but alright. It made sense anyway. I wasn't just going to wear the same thing two days in a row. 'Thanks Liz,' I thought to myself as I walked away from the bed and back over to the bathroom. Of course I was going to change in there. I wasn't ready to just strip in front of him! What if he felt…you know…horny…? He had this thing with…_'touching' _…when he was horny.

What man didn't?

"Hurry guys! We gotta get there!"

"I thought it was in like 30 minutes—"

"I KNOW! But I want to be early!"

When I walked out of the bathroom to put my shoes on, I saw that Black*Star was in the doorway having a little argument with Soul. I slipped in my sneakers, turned and set my hands on my hips as the two of them bickered about being early or not. They went back and forth with insults even, and it seemed like even though Black*Star wanted to go badly; we'd never be going anyway. I sighed, and made my way over silently as they bickered, and then, crossing my arms, I spoke to them.

"Ladies," They both looked at me; confused and hurt all at once. "You're both pretty…can we go now?"


	26. An Ending He Deserves

_Destroying a Perfect Soul_

_Chapter 26: An Ending He Deserves  
_

_"Soul...I never got to tell you...yes"_

_"Yes, I will marry you."_

* * *

Black*Star had been complaining the whole way to the school for being called a lady but Soul said nothing of it. He just walked slowly along with us with his hands in his pockets like usual. Tsubaki tried her best to keep him calm and away from choosing to turn and snap at me. I couldn't help but wear a smug smile on my face, feeling a bit triumphant since I had caused them to be speechless once I said it. Kid and Liz were busy trying to arrange how they were going to walk on the way there, since they were trying to hold each others hands while Patty was just skipping along without a care in the world.

"Do not..._ever_ call me a lady again," Soul mumbled from beside me, causing me to look over at him quietly, the smug smile disappearing. His crimson red eyes were staring off into the distance as we walked. "…it kinda blows my self esteem, you know?"

I rolled my eyes. "Soul you know how manly I think you are…~" I reached over and pinched his cheek lightly, not as nervous being around him as I used to be. His cheeks either turned red from blush or turned red because I had pinched them, but I didn't care. It was cute as hell, and I would never let him hear the end of it after seeing him blush. "Blushy Soul is cute~"

"Hush, woman…"

I giggled softly as we approached Shibusen's main staircase and as Black*Star picked Tsubaki up to carry her up, Patty hopped up each one like she was playing some sort of game. Kid was making sure Liz made each step accordingly correct, at the same angle and at the same pace as his steps while Soul and I, of course, were the two in the back that did our own thing. I set my hands behind my back as I walked up each step with my own little hop. Soul was by my side maybe a little behind me, and he seemed to drag his feet up a little.

"Soul~" I asked, looking towards him, sticking my lip out a little. Soul glanced my way lazily and lifted a brow, pausing in his climb up to the top. "Why don't you ever carry me like that?"

Soul looked at me like I was stupid. "I used to carry you to bed like that sometimes,"

"Yeah, when we got intimate…" I mumbled towards him with a pout. "You never do it like _'that'_…" I pointed up at Black*Star and his girlfriend up at the top.

The pianist sighed and kept walking up the stairs. "I don't want to drop you," he then said to me, reaching up to rub his neck. I kept pouting and followed him again. "If I do that, you'll get hurt…"

"Fine…"

Soul was quiet the rest of the way up the stairs and we finally caught up with the rest in time to say "see ya" to Black*Star before he could run off to visit with his team. He had given Tsubaki a large kiss, in which we had to turn away to shield our not-so-virgin eyes, and then left us in the front to walk to the gym ourselves. Our shoes clicked and echoed in the halls and I couldn't help but glance in the doorways to see the empty classrooms as we walked by.

In there, the bleachers were nearly filled with people waiting for the game. Everyone and their mother was there! Students, teachers, parents, graduates! Even lord Shinigami was there in his own little chair to watch the game. I couldn't help but smile and look around as Tsubaki, Kid, Liz, Patty, Soul and I made our way up to some bleachers to sit down and wait for the game to start.

"It's been awhile since I've been in here…" Soul mumbled as I sat down on his right side. I looked his way and gave him a soft smile, happy to see that he thought about that stuff too. I took a moment to think about what I should do next. Should I lean against him like Liz was on the other side of Kid? No…what if he was too into his thoughts? I could startle him and he could hit me! No! I had to stop thinking like that! Of course Soul wouldn't do that to me, my mind was just being paranoid.

Hesitantly, I began to lean towards his shoulder, still keeping an eye on the few kids warming up on the court, but I was immediately _cock blocked_ when a freakin' ass was thrown in my face. "Excuse me…" A man spoke in slur as he shuffled by Soul and I. Soul immediately wore a scowl on his face when the person tried to squeeze between him and Kid, which slid him towards me and caused me to slide down the bench a bit too.

"Excuse _'me'._" Soul growled, glancing to his left at the guy who had apparently looked his way too. I looked as well to see who it was because I felt his soul jump a bit in surprise and realization. "…Tod." The pianist said quickly. I groaned and leaned away from them to set a hand on my forehead. Oh goodie. How _'fun'_ tonight was going to be! And if you didn't realize...that was sarcastic.

"Evans,"

"Don't call me that."

Next to him, Kid couldn't help but glance over too, and as soon as he did his eyes had narrowed in a fierce glare. "Just wanted to see you myself," Tod mumbled, obviously drunk again. I rolled my eyes. This wasn't going to end well if I knew Soul's temper with him. It was not pretty. Not in the least.

_-"Hey Maka…have you thought about it yet?"_

Instantly I felt Soul's crimson eyes on me. "Oh…I actually…" As my eyes shut so I could smile at Tod, I could feel Soul tugging on my jacket sleeve. Just as he growled my name, I lightly shook him off. "I did think about it…" I then said; trying to ignore Soul, who had found my jacket sleeve to tug on again. I didn't want to go with Tod. But I really didn't want to upset him… "I've decided—"

"NO!" Soul snapped; spinning around so he could face Tod too. I looked at him completely surprised as he glared. "Maka isn't going to the ball with you Lancy, understand?" He then yelled; pointing at the taller boy. Tod opened his mouth to speak but Soul beat him to it. "NO! That was a rhetorical question! No answering!" He spun around, lifted his sweater's hood over his head and began walking away. But Tod just

'had'_to speak again._

"I asked Maka, Eater. So don't go and answer for her!"

Soul stopped walking in the middle of the courtyard. He looked as if all besides the rain had frozen in time. That is…until he turned around and began walking back over. His crimson glare sent my skin crawling as I looked at his shadowed face. He did

'not' _look happy. "You want to say that again Lancy?" He snarled; taking his place in front of the taller boy. With a confident grin, Tod nodded and opened his mouth to do so. But he never got the chance…Soul had punched him in the face and all I could do was stare as he grabbed my wrist and dragged me away…-_

"And what is this?~"

During my careless flashback, Tod had seen Liz and Kid together and ignored Soul's angry wavelength radiating from his soul. But I guess that was just because I was the only one who could feel that anyway. Kid narrowed his eyes at Tod as Liz leaned away from the Shinigami to roll her eyes. "…You ditch me for the retarded OCD freak?" He then asked, obviously slurring his words like normal. What happened to Tod after all these years? It was sad…and it made me upset. I missed the old Tod. He didn't _'ask' _to be punched like he was right now. "What're you, some kinda whore?"

"Excuse me!"

Kid was nearly at his limit, I could feel it. I could even sense Soul getting angrier and angrier by the second. I saw Tod point his thumb back over his shoulder towards me, and I knew whatever he was going to say was going to be the end of it. "…She may be more of a whore than Maka over here! She totally led me on awhile back and went for the albino hereee~" That was when I felt them both snap. Soul and Kid had sprung to their feet at the same time as Liz and I gasped in shock. The two men, at the same time, grabbed Tod by the collar and pulled him up with their inside arms.

"You know what wise guy," Soul began.

"There are small children here that don't need to be hearing your vulgar language right now," Kid continued.

"And you are never,"

"_Ever_."

And then at the same time, as if they were reading each other's minds: ", going to speak about our girlfriends like that again!"

Both of them brought their fists back and punched Tod square in the face at the same time, knocking him out cold; causing a few people to turn and look over their shoulders. Smirking to themselves, they dropped the drunken man down where he once sat and instead, since he was knocked out, he leaned so far back that his head banged against the bleacher behind us. Kid went ahead and pushed him over so no one would be between him and Soul again, and you know, the whole time Liz and I were staring in awe. Kid was just pleased the it all happened in a symmetrical manor, I'm sure. His soul sure said so...

"Thank you Soul."

"No problem," Soul sat back down and frowned towards the court as Black*Star and the rest of the team appeared to meet the team from the City on the other side of the desert. People began cheering and the game had started before I knew it. Though, all I did was stare at Soul as if he was the most amazing man on the planet. I seriously thought that was…attractive. I even thought that was…arousing. But why? I was kind of pissed off that Tod had the lights knocked out of him, but I found that simply…Oh I couldn't even explain it!

…But I wasn't ready for another night like _'that'_…

Not yet at least.

I lightly slapped my cheek and focused on the game as Black*Star walked back and forth to keep a good eye on his team while they played. "Is Black*Star finally learning some responsibility…?" I heard Soul ask from beside me. I perked up a little and looked his way and I couldn't help but smile and nod as I looked back at the basketball game before it.

"You know what…" I breathed, reaching over to take Soul's hand as everyone around us cheered on the team our friend worked so hard to train. "…He just might be…" I saw Soul smile softly to himself and he laced his fingers with mine.

* * *

"It's just the box made stuff," I mumbled, setting a plate of food down in front of Soul at the table. He reached over and grabbed a remote to shut off the TV in the living room while I set down a fork for him. "It's cheap, but it's all I could make since it's such a late hour," I set my own plate down and sat across from him as he set the remote down. And then, picking up the fork, he looked up at me quietly. I had been staring at my pasta with the fork in my hand, but I could sense his eyes on me, so I looked up to meet them. "…Y-Yes?"

"I love you."

I nodded a bit. "I-I love you too, Soul…~" I then told him. Wow that was lame! Who just…_'nods' _to someone who says that they love you? Stupid Maka, Stupid Stupid Stupid! "…You going to eat?" I noticed he hadn't looked away from me yet. Although that seemed to snap him back to reality and he nodded. He then reached down with his fork, scooped the pasta up to start eating. I smiled again and started myself and commenced the war of the silence breaking fork noises. The quiet dragged on for awhile, but it wasn't like it was uncomfortable or anything. I kinda liked it. It let me think, and I knew it let Soul think too. He was always the type of person to talk more inside his head. He'd have conversations with himself in there…and he'd plan out all these different solutions for one problem under a minute. He was so smart…he just didn't always use that brain of his correctly.

Something in my arm pained me when I picked up the fork again, and I dropped it with a quiet cry of pain. Of course this caught Soul's attention immediately and he looked up at me quickly. "What's wrong, are you okay?" He asked in worry. I tried to say something but I only squeaked, so he got up, nearly knocking the chair over and came over to me. "How are your bandages…?" He carefully took my arm and I tried my best not to flinch back and away from him. "Does it hurt," Once he saw me nod, he got back onto his feet and made his way into the kitchen to go through the drawers. "Go in the room…I'll help you change them…"

"T-The dishes…!"

"I'll do them later, Maka."

I nodded and rose to my feet while my left hand held my right arm carefully in its clutches. I made my way slowly to the room and opened the door with my shoulder since it was already cracked open. The pain in my arm had calmed since Soul touched it—which was nearly impossible seeing that he had been the reason to make it feel so bad in past events. I sat down at my bed near the nightstand and brought my legs up to hug them. All of a sudden I felt terrible…I felt broken again, like I was never going to be happy again.

"Okay, I have some medicine and new bandages…" Soul said as he walked into the room. Strangely, feeling his presence made me feel a lot better about this. He paused in the doorway, seeing my pathetic state and then he frowned, closing the door behind him. "I'll…change them for you…" He then mumbled, making his way over. I watched him sit at the edge of my bed and reach for my arm slowly and carefully. Quietly, I held it out to him so he could take it, and as soon as he had it, he began to unwrap my arm, revealing redder and redder clothe as he continued. "…Why haven't you been changing them?"

I almost started crying again. "…I…It's hard," I then said to him, reaching up with my other hand to rub my eyes. "I can't do it by myself…its tough to clip it and wrap it with one hand…"

Soul sighed. "You coulda' asked me…"

"I-I've just recently begun to trust you again,"

Soul paused, his eyes staring at the red scar written across my right arm. I didn't want him to just look at it! He was probably thinking to himself about how terrible of a person he was to have done this to me. He seemed to be out of it, thinking and just thinking. So I moved my arm to snap him out of it. The musician sitting on my bed blinked a few times before reaching for the little vial of medicine he found for me. He rubbed a bit of it into my arm which was extremely painful but I tried not to make it seem like so.

"If it hurts…just tell me—"

"I-I'm fine!"

Soul reached for the new bandages and began to wrap them around my arm carefully. He was silent after that and I just watched him as he dressed my wounded arm. "S-Soul…" I sounded like I was sobbing, I'm sure, but my face didn't feel wet at all. He didn't look up at me, but I knew he was listening to me. I could just feel it. "S-Soul, I feel like I'm broken…I f-feel like I'm just like you were in the beginning." I reached up to wipe my eye as he clipped the bandage to keep it in place. Then, letting go of my arm, he set his own hands in his lap and looked up at me while I held it close again. "I could see it, Soul…that day in the bathroom…I looked into my own soul…and…it almost looked like yours had been…"

"Maka…" Soul whispered my name and leaned towards me, almost as if he was crawling towards me. I was looking at the wall, but I could see this in the corner of my eyes. He set his hands on mine as they lay in my lap and it wasn't long until his lips were on my forehead. I flinched…but I didn't want to. Although, I think he knew that because when he pulled away, he brought them back down onto my lips. Tears falling, I kissed him back and I took his hands in mine to hold them instead. His kisses were short, sweet, and simple…I liked it when he did that…In fact I loved it… I wanted him to kiss me like this for the rest of our lives…after we get married—wait!

My eyes opened. "Soul…~" I then mumbled, pulling away. Although I didn't want him to react the way he did...I didn't mind it.

"W-What?" He asked me quickly as soon as I said his name. "Am I hurting you, are you scared?" He asked again just as fast. I began to shake my head but he spoke again. "Do you want me to leave you alone? I'll go sleep on the couch—"

"Yes."

Soul seemed so confused. "…Y-Yes to what?"

"Soul…" I breathed, shaking my head a little, closing my eyes. I reached up to rub them again before looking into his once more. "I never got to tell you…yes…" I then told him quietly, smiling softly. His head tilted a little and he mumbled something about not understanding what I was getting at. So…I got straight to the point. "Yes, I will marry you."

He stared at me, his eyes widening and getting even more watery by the second. He was going to look so uncool, but I was sure he didn't care. Soul Eater Evans had nearly burst into tears. And when he did, his head fell into the nook of my neck and for once, I didn't flinch. For once it was my turn to put my arms around him for comfort. "I don't deserve this…" He mumbled into my skin, obviously sobbing. I rubbed his back softly and shut my eyes.

"Yes you do…"

Soul shook his head a little and his voice, muffled by my hair and neck, was heard again. "Th-thank you…" He mumbled as I continued to comfort him. "I love you so much…" his arms wrapped themselves around me in return and it wasn't long until he had started to repeat those words quietly, over and over again until he had finally fallen asleep in my arms. I smiled softly to myself, hearing another click, and kissed the top of his head. Oh how lucky I was to have someone like him to be by my side…

"I love you too Soul…~"

I knew that my soul had become broken just like his had been…but already could I feel it being fixed. I was sure I'd be back to my regular self again, very soon. It was all up to Soul and his actions from then on…We'd get married, and I'd work on finally getting into that damn college…and I'd be back to normal. Maybe with a job of my own…and maybe, with kids of my own to take care of…

All we needed was each other, and all we needed was time.

**END**

* * *

I love you guys for giving me so much support and being so patient with me.  
If I could, I would hug each and every one of you and say thank you personally,

This chapter is the end, but there will be an epilogue coming as soon as I can get it done.

its not as amazing as it used to be since I stopped writing for awhile, so I'm sorry about that,

Thanks again, and I'm glad to have gone through this with you.  
Expect new stories soon! I'm back in my Soul Eater stage, so I'm sure more stories will come!


	27. Epilogue: Family

_Destroying a Perfect Soul_

_Chapter 27: Epilogue: Family_

_"Even though I had finally taken on his name…_

_I felt as if I'd been Maka Evans all along."_

* * *

I never thought I would have hated the buzzing of an alarm clock as much as I did this exact morning. It meant a few things that were the end of my wonderful morning. Soul had to get up for work, meaning he had to stop holding me, and I had been woken up and I was probably not going to be able to fall back asleep. "Shut it off," I groaned, reaching up to rub my eye. I was just being lazy. Something that usually was what he did. "Turn it off please…" I lazily reached over myself to smack him…somewhere. I wasn't sure where…it may have been his hip, or his waist…but definitely not his face.

"…Fine,"

Soul reached over me and pressed his hand down on the top of the alarm to shut its damn nonexistent beeping mouth. "Happy?" I then heard him groan as his arm fell, shoving his bicep into my face. Mumbling, I reached up and pushed his arm away before turning my head. His eyes were closed again as if he was going back to sleep. But, I wasn't going to let that happen now was I? "H-hey!" I had flicked his nose. "What?"

"Gotta get up for work, dummy," I told him quietly, glaring a little. "You don't wanna get fired do you?"

Soul looked away from me and to the ceiling. "I guess not…" He then mumbled, using a hand to pull the blankets away from him. He slipped his other arm out from under me and slid off the bed in nothing but his boxers…like usual. I rolled over to face him while he made his way over to the closet and opened it to look inside. Normally this would be his routine while I was asleep. He'd normally get to the alarm before it could wake me…So I never actually got to see how his morning went anymore.

"Red or black…?"

Puffing my cheeks out a little, I lifted my head up a little to look at the two ties he held towards me. One was a silky red like the one he would wear with the pinstripe suit he used to own, and the other was a black tie that I remembered to feel just the same. "Well, your uniform is black…" I mumbled, receiving a "yeah I know," remark from him back. "…Wear the red one today…I think you wore black last week…" Soul nodded and tossed the black tie to the side with the others he owned. "…They gunna let you play piano again today?"

"That's normally on days when I have later hours…" He mumbled, pulling up his black dress pants. I turned my little smile upside down and watched him do his belt and adjust how the pants fit around his waist. "I usually mess with it when business is slow though," I heard him chuckle a little and pull down a black button up dress shirt from the closet before pulling it over his arms to wear. I let out my own tired giggle and lied my head back down on the pillow as he buttoned the shirt up the middle, his scar disappearing under the fabric.

That reminded me of something…

"Soul…~"

"Yes dear…?~" He sounded like he was being a bit of a smart ass with that.

I rolled my eyes a little and continued. "I've invited our friends over today," I then told him as he threw the tie around his neck. "You know…" Pushing myself up, I sat up and pulled my shirt up a little since it had fallen off my shoulder. "Because we haven't seen any of them since the wedding and all…" That's right~ Soul and I were finally married and we just recently got back from our honey moon in England! It was so great~ Soul knew just where to go and he pointed everything out to me! Even his parents' old home. It was so beautiful…~

"Black*Star too?"

"Of course!"

Soul smiled a bit and finished with his tie before turning to me, now fully in uniform other than his shoes. He came over to sit on the bed again and went to slipping those over his feet while I made my way over quietly. I crawled across the bed and wrapped my arms around him as he tied the laces and tucked them it afterwards. "You be good," I mumbled, kissing his temple. "Don't piss anyone off~ Make sure you make the drinks like the customer orders them~"

"I know, I know…"

A smile crept onto my lips and he ruffled his hair out a bit with his hands. "You get off at one today?" I asked him, letting go so he could get back to his feet. Soul turned and nodded to me, his usual lazy expression returning to his face. There was something about that frown I liked…it wasn't like he was mad or upset about anything. It was just…how he was. I couldn't say it was because of his rather…_tragic_past…because I had seen pictures of him as a child with the same somber expression on his little face. It came natural to him, so…it wasn't ever a bad thing to see.

Although I did like seeing him smile more…~

"I'll see you later," Soul mumbled, bending down to kiss me on the lips. "Go back to sleep, get some rest, got it?"

I nodded. "See ya,"

When he left the room, I heard him step into the bathroom to do his finishing touches. I lied back down and nuzzled the pillow softly, eyeing the alarm with a glare. It was seven in the morning. Seven. In the morning. I could have been sleeping all nice and cozy and coulda woken up at nine or something. Oh it was going to be just _fun_going back to sleep…again…sarcasm.

"GO TO SLEEP!"

That yell came from Soul just as I heard the front door shut. Apparently he knew my eyes were still open and I was thinking about such things. I sighed and shut my eyes suddenly feeling a bit sick to the stomach. I opened my eyes again and scowled. It was probably because I hadn't eaten the usual meal in a while. Or maybe it was finally the fish and chips getting to me from the honeymoon… Oh, now it was starting to get kinda bad. Groaning, I sat up and stared at the wall a moment, hoping it would just pass…

"Maybe its just cramps…" I mumbled to myself. "…My periods here…and its making me feel sick, that's all," It was my time after all. Or it should have been. Or maybe… "…No…" I felt more awake now, quickly jumping off the bed and grabbing something to throw over the underwear I was wearing. I threw on my shoes and charged out the front door, putting a jacket over my t-shirt, and I was out and down the street in a flash. If my hopes were true, then I was going to be one happy camper later~!

Oh…but first I needed to go back for the bathroom. I had this horrible need to vomit…but it only raised my hopes even more.

YES!

I was pregnant! Or…well…It probably was. Pregnancy tests never really were accurate. I did miss my period…I did have morning sickness…and the test _did_say positive. "Hmf," I shut the door behind me and exited the bathroom with a pout. "I'm calling it," I then said. "I'm pregnant." I liked the sound of that… "I'm…pregnant," Repeating it made it sound even better. I squealed out in joy so loud that my cat, Blair had hidden underneath the couch. And just then, the house phone went off and caused me to stop. It was now around nine o'clock since it took me so long to get the test and drink water till I had to pee. I just wasn't one of those people who had to pee when they woke up in the morning, you know?

"Evans residence," I said as I picked up the phone, feeling tingly saying my new last name. You know…Even though I had finally taken on his name…I felt as if I'd been Maka Evans all along. "Stein…?" I hadn't heard this man's voice in so long it was almost unreal. The last time I spoke to him…was in the infirmary at least a year ago…when I had been shot by medusa, I think.

Ugh…My skin crawled just thinking about that day…and my arm, tingled.

_"Maka, I would like you to come down here to the infirmary,"_ Stein said from the other side of the line. "_If Soul is with you, please bring him along as well…I have something to show you,"_

"Oh sure," I said to him, nodding, even if he couldn't see it. "Soul isn't with me right now, but I'll head on over," I set the phone down on its charger again and walked back over to where I had set my shoes when I came home earlier. I wondered what he had in store for me…What sort of surprise could Dr. Frank N. Stein have for us? A late wedding gift? No…that couldn't be it. Soul and I weren't _that_close to the science teacher.

I tried to think about what he would have to give me as I made my way down the street and towards the school. He could possibly be giving Soul and I a dissecting kit knowing him. Or maybe an already chopped up animal in a jar. That man was seriously something else…whenever I thought about him…I thought about the first day I saw him.

_-"Alright, Alright, get inside please"_

_As soon as I heard the new voice I quickly turned around to see a grey haired man who was sitting in a rolling chair. He wore glasses and at the moment he was smoking. A feature that I found the most disturbing and strange though, was the giant screw through his head and the stitches that were patterned throughout his skin, clothes, chair and now that I get a good look around...his class room. Before I could say anything to the man, Tsubaki had me by the arm and had pulled me over to the nearest empty desk._

_"H-he was in a pretty bad accident" She told me with a small but nervous smile. "Just don't stare and there won't be a problem at all. He won't even threaten to dissect you" Don't stare? He was a teacher! How was I /i'not'i supposed to stare? "Here" Tsubaki then said as we stepped around the desk. "He hasn't chosen a seating chart yet, so until then you can go ahead and sit by me if you like"—_

I swear, he was the strangest teacher ever. But that's what made him and the others unique. And it was one of the reason I liked going to school so much every day. I looked forward to going so I could see what the teachers were going to do next. I looked forward to going so I could read and learn. I looked forward to going to school every day because Soul and I got to sit next to each other and be close to one another.

To be with my friends too…~

I sighed to myself as I started up the large staircase in front of the school. "I miss those days," I then mumbled, climbing as best as I could. I had been doing it for years…I was almost used to it. "Everything seemed so simple then…now that I look back to it…it was nicer." I set a hand on my stomach, thinking about the pregnancy test I had taken. "No college…no jobs…no medusa," I frowned but then remembered how she hadn't come into our lives until further on. I sighed and let out a little laugh. "Well at first…"

Opening the doors to the school, I imagined my first steps in the building all those years ago. On my first day when I had opened these doors and strolled down the hallway, smiling at all the students who noticed that I was new. Those were good times alright…

"Stein…?" I called, opening the door to the infirmary. I peeked into the room and saw the head of grey hair that belonged to the professor and he looked up from writing something down on a piece of paper. He looked up from his paperwork and smiled a small and possibly fake smile, reaching up to adjust his glasses. I smiled back no matter my doubts of his grin, and waved as I shut the door behind me. "Hello…~"

"Yes, hello there Maka," Stein said as he set his pencil down. "Good to see you again, I trust you and Soul had a nice trip to London?" I nodded to him with another smile as he then got to his feet and set a hand on the back of my shoulder, holding his other hand out as if he was going to lead me further into the room. "This way," He said to me, leading me around the corner. And as soon as I could see the two beds, I realized that one of them had a person in it, and that person was none other than Medusa's son, Chrona.

"Chrona!" I gasped, stepping away from the old professor and over to the bed the purple haired boy sat in. He smiled up at me saying my name in return and I couldn't stop myself from hugging his fragile body. It had been a long time since I'd seen him. After rescuing Soul I heard that Chrona had been taken to the nearest hospital. The nearest city or town besides Death City was the one Black*Star's basketball team always went up against. "oh, its so wonderful to see you!" I pulled away, taking his hands and smiled softly. "You look so much healthier…! Did the black blood go away?"

Chrona smiled at me and nodded. "Stein has been giving me treatment to replace the black blood in my body with regular blood cells," He then told me as I sat down on the bed so I didn't have to stand anymore. "I can walk now…A-and I can stay awake for much longer."

"That's great!" I said to him smiling brightly. I then leaned towards him a little, curious. "Do you think you are able to come over to the apartment?" His head tilted a little and my green eyes shone brightly into his dark ones. "I'm having my friends come over! And Soul will be home from work at one!~" I looked at the clock and saw that it had been another half hour since last I looked. I did walk pretty slow too…and if I was able to take Chrona home with me, then that would probably be another forty minutes or so since he just started walking again.

"I-I would love to~"

Nodding, I looked over my shoulder at Stein and got his attention. "Professor, with your consent, can Chrona live with Soul and I?" Chrona flinched a little but I felt him relax as soon as the teacher had looked my way with a nod. "Is there anything I need to do to keep him healthy?" I truly wanted to do this for him. He and Soul were the best of friends when they were little. We had an extra room in the apartment where I used to sleep, so why not give it to Chrona to live in? He needed a home anyway!

"Yes, let me get you what you'll need…"

"Are you alright with this Chrona?"

"O-of course!"

I smiled brightly at this and nodded. "Great!" We both took a moment to laugh before something had caught my attention. Stein had set a few bags down on the other bed and called my name quietly. I looked over to him, curious and saw that his eyes had disappeared under the shine of his glasses. "…Yes?"

"You may or may not appreciate hearing this from me…" Stein began, going to collect things to stuff in those bags. I shook my head and told him I didn't mind and he continued. "I've already told Soul…I gave him a call as soon as I was able," I nodded to him this time and he set a few blood bags into one of the suit cases he collected for Chrona. What he told me was something that made Chrona and I both uncomfortable…but, I pushed it out of my mind as soon as I could and went straight to taking Chrona home. Soul already knew…so there was no use in remembering to tell him later. It was in one ear and out the other…no matter how amazingly happy it made me feel.

"Medusa has been executed for her crimes."

* * *

"Okay, here it is…" I opened the door to the apartment and led Chrona inside. He stumbled a little in his step, but was able to come inside without too much of a problem and I picked up the bags Stein had packed for him. I brought them inside after him and shut the door behind us. "Go ahead and sit on the couch, I'll set up your I.V…" I told him, tucking some hair behind my ear. I set down one of his bags by the couch near where he sat down and unzipped it to reveal the contents. There was a blood bag, a pole to be assembled, some needles, and a few other medical supplies to keep him healthy.

"Thank you very much for this Maka…" Chrona whispered as I started putting the pieces together for the I.V stand. I nodded to him as I set the last piece up on the top and made sure the hooks were stable enough to hold the bag. "I will do this part for you…" Chrona said, taking the little tube that hung off the end of the bag. I nodded, a bit unsure and handed him the needle to attach it before getting to my feet.

"I'll go put the rest of your things in your room…"

"Alright…~"

I picked up the other bag he had and carried it into my old room to be set down near the bed. I patted the blankets off a little to see if there was anything wrong. Though I was pleased with the condition and turned to leave the room, shutting the door behind me. "That'll be your room, there," I said to Chrona, seeing that he was already done with hooking himself up with the I.V. Smiling, he nodded to me sweetly, just melting my heart. He was so tragic…yes so sweet…

"YA-HAA!"

"EH!"

My door had been kicked open and I could feel the blue haired idiot coming closer. "Makaaa…." So quickly, I grabbed a book and on blind impulse, swung it to my left as hard as I could, just in time to hit my target square in the face. "CHOP!" I heard him yell and his body literally flipped he was moving so fast into the impact. He fell to the floor with a thud and I tossed the book over my shoulder, landing it on the floor near Chrona's new room. "…Never do that to my door again, you hear?" I then said to Black*Star threateningly.

"….Y-Yes ma'am!"

Chrona stared nearly in disbelief at what I had done, but I heard him let out a soft laugh as soon as Tsubaki had entered in with a platter of food. "G-Goodness!" She wailed, setting the platter down onto the counter before running over to kick one of her boyfriend's legs. "Black*Star what were you thinking! You can be so dumb sometimes!" I smiled lightly and she looked up at me with a face full of worry and silent apologies. Well, until she spoke up… "I am _so_sorry, Maka!" She gasped and Black*Star got to his feet to wipe his pants down. "I will try to make sure that he never does that aga—" Before she could finish, I pulled them both into a hug, shutting my eyes and smiling widely.

"H-Have I ever told you two how much I love you…?"

For once, Black*Star was serious about what I had said and along with Tsubaki, hugged me back in return.

"We feel the love, Maka…"

The three of us pulled away from each other and I looked over to the doorway where Kid and the two Thompson sisters stood, each of them smirking at me. I laughed a bit and walked over to them to pull them into a hug as well. "I love you guys too! So much!" I then said to the three of them as they hugged back. Patty of course was giggling her little butt off while Liz and Kid took it as seriously as they both could. "Now…Everyone," I pulled away and held out a hand towards Chrona, causing him to blush from the attention and look away. "This is Chrona…he'll be joining our circle of friends starting today,"

"HIYA CHRONA!"

"Black*Star, hush!"

Chrona waved lightly as everyone but Tsubaki and I sat down to sit in the living room with my new roommate. She and I made our way into the kitchen and while she unwrapped the plate of food she brought, I started getting some drinks ready. I glanced over to the clock. It was almost eleven…and that was because I had spent a long time in the infirmary with Stein and Chrona before. Soul would be home in about an hour. And when he got home…I could tell him. I could tell all of them.

"Something on your mind?~"

I looked over to Tsubaki as we both walked over to the living room together with the food and drinks. I smiled. "Oh I have something amazing to tell you all~" Apparently Black*Star heard this because he yelled at me about wondering what it was and that since he was so amazing, he should have already known by now. "I'm not going to say a word until Soul gets home," I told him with a wink as I set the drinks down. I heard Tsubaki giggle a bit and set down the platter of what looked like finger foods of all sorts, even sushi. I sat down on one of the couches near where Tsubaki got situated and I looked towards Chrona. "And it's not about Chrona moving in with Soul and I if that's what you're thinking," I then said with a laugh.

"…aw man…"

Chrona let out a light laugh as well along with the rest of us. It was nice to see him laughing after having memories of such a weak person. "Maka," He asked after everything had died down, commencing the eating contest between Black*Star and Patty. I looked up at him and smiled in question. "How is Soul…?" He smiled a little, obviously curious. Tsubaki, taking a drink beside me, looked over to him too. "Is he well?"

"He's perfect." I said to him softly. I reached for a piece of sushi, but it ended up getting stolen by the blue haired idiot on the smaller couch beside mine. "…He's been just fine; all the black blood is out of his system!" I beamed over to Chrona as I said this, and as if on cue, the door opened and a certain white haired male entered the building. "Soul…?" I asked as everyone looked over. Did I mention how amazing he looked in his work uniform? "What are you doing home so early?" Almost as soon as I asked this, my father appeared behind him. "And why is _'he'_here!"

"Hello there Maka darling!~"

Soul rolled his eyes just about the same time I did, and he made his way over, letting my father shut the door for them. "Papa, what are you doing here?" I asked, annoyed as Soul paused to take in the sight of his long time friend sitting on the couch across from me. "I didn't invite you!"

"But Papa hasn't seen his darling Maka since the weddin—"

"Neither have they!"

"Maka," In the middle of my yelling, Soul had spoken my name and I looked at him, my anger disappearing in a second. He looked at me for a moment before eyeing Chrona again, while the one with the purple hair watched him with a bit of a smile. "Is that really—"

I nodded. "Yep! That's Chrona!" I then told him. As soon as I said it, Soul put on a grin and leaned over the couch Black*Star was on to hold a hand out to Chrona, mentioning how glad he was to see his face again. Chrona said just the same thing, taking his hand in return and smiling back at him. "Chrona's going to live with us Soul," He stood up straight and walked over my side of the living room and sat on the couch next to me, kissing my head.

"Oh yeah…~?"

Nodding again, I watched my father lean on the chair Black*Star was in so he could listen with the rest of them since they all now had their attention on me. "He's staying in my old room, and he'll be here until he's healthy enough and strong enough to get his own home," I then explained, looking at Chrona and receiving a nod from him. "We'll be like…a little family of three~" Oh, now wait…I almost forgot… "OH! I mean…" Soul looked at me a little more curiously as I saw some of their head's tilt a little. "I guess I should have said a family of four!"

"…What?"

"Ore-Sama has been confused."

"Who else is moving in?"

I shook my head and closed my eyes for a second, laughing lightly. "Guys…" I set a hand on my stomach and immediately I could feel the tension and realization rise. I opened my eyes again and beamed at them all. "I'm pregnant!" The last thing that happened before everyone was surrounding me with questions and glee, was that my Papa had literally attacked Soul and had begun to strangle him; yelling something about being happy and utterly pissed all at the same time…

…ugh…_men_

**END**

* * *

Mh~ So I'm leaving to go see my dad in San Diego tomorrow at 7 in the morning so i knew i wasn't going to be able to finish this while i was up there!

Please excuse the mistakes for now, for I will get back to them as soon as I can!

I'll be gone until August 2nd!

_And they all lived happily ever after...~_

..

until that baby was born XD


End file.
